Hogwarts High II
by Siriusly Amused
Summary: Ron's a junior, Ginny's a sophomore, and they're going back to Hogwarts High alone this year. Will they survive? The second installment to the story of a school with a weird name.
1. Stifling Summer

**Hogwarts High II  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Greetings and welcome all you fan fiction readers! I am Siriusly Amused and I am here to introduce my new fic. Well, it's actually a sequel to a different fic that I have. Notice the II at the end of the title? So those of you who haven't read Hogwarts High, I suggest you scamper off to my profile, find HHI and read it. It's 26 chapters, but I think it's a relatively fast read…five hours or so. -shrugs- I've never actually read it straight through, but I've had numerous readers who told me that they have, so it can be done. As for those of you who have already read HHI, I really hope you enjoy this fic. It starts out six weeks after the end of HHI. What else do I have to say about this fic… -ponders- Hmm, can't think of anything at the moment, but if it pops up later, I'll let you know. I just hope that you all love this fic as much as you did the first one.

**Warning:** I feel like I must issue several warnings before you read this fic. First of all, there's no big plot in this one. No one gets kidnapped and forced into the mafia. No one dies. Most of the conflicts are internal. Since there's no BIG conflict in it, I shall try to keep it relatively short. I'm thinking around 12 chapters? Maybe? Who knows. Secondly, I feel as though I must warn you that I'm going to attempt to have the characters grow up a bit. So things may get a little more adult. I don't think it's anything that will need the rating to go up, though I haven't written it yet, so I dunno.

**Disclaimer:** There are many things in this world that I do not own. I don't own an iPod, tevo, digital camera, trampoline (though I used to), and my friend M of whom you may remember from some of the A/Ns of HH. I also do not own Harry Potter and all things concerning it…the lyrics to the song, 'Santa Monica' by Everclear…Adult Swim…Sprite…the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…

Chapter One  
_Stifling Summer_

_µ We can live beside the ocean, Leave the fire behind, Swim out past the breakers, Watch the world die… µ_

**···Ginny···**

I opened my eyes slowly and gazed around my room. It was filled with the bluish light of approaching dawn and I groaned, partly over my frustration of waking up early yet again (I found it difficult to sleep all summer long) and partly because I realized that I was feeling slightly nauseous. With much difficulty, I shoved my sheet off of myself and sat up. I paused for a few moments, willing myself not to throw up before I stood and made my way to the bathroom. After splashing my face with cool water, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a cold Sprite. I was on my way back to my bedroom, intent on listening to some music while I sipped the Sprite, when I noticed that Ron's bedroom door was opened and, upon glancing in, that he wasn't in bed. His window was opened, and I had a pretty good idea of where he had gone off to. I stood in his doorway for a few minutes, debating what I should do before I shrugged to myself, crossed his room, and climbed out of the window.

After a few minutes of walking along the beach, I found him. He was dressed in the same clothes that he has worn for the past couple of days: an overly large T-shirt and some black, nylon shorts. He was lying on the sand, fast asleep. Ever since school let out, Ron and I had grown quite fond of sleeping in odd places. We once even fell asleep on the roof. Mom had yelled at us for well over an hour for that.

Ron looked like he was sleeping peacefully for once. He was spread out comfortably on his back with one hand behind his head in a sort of make-shift pillow. His other hand rested upon his stomach, rising and falling with each breath he took. He hadn't cut his hair in over a month and it was starting to get long. His bangs fell over his closed eyes and the rest of his hair was tucked behind an ear. He was also in desperate need of a shave.

Suddenly, Ron twitched and opened his eyes. He must have felt my presence. He swore under his breath and rubbed a hand over his face.

"What are you doing out here, Gin?" he asked, remaining on the ground.

"Couldn't sleep," I explained. "Felt slightly sick so…" I trailed off and indicated the Sprite in my hand. Ron closed his eyes once again and patted the sand next to him, indicating I should sit down. I complied and finished off half of my Sprite before growing sleepy once more and laying down, ignoring the first rays of light and the increasing humidity.

**···Bill···**

I don't understand females. I guess it's an aftereffect from growing up in a predominantly male household, but I truly don't understand the complete and utter absurdness that is the female mind. I don't understand Charlie either. Perhaps I should back up and explain…

I met Fleur last summer. It was twilight and I was walking back to my apartment after visiting with the family. My mood was relatively good. Percy had pompously reminded me every five minutes that I had not managed to get a full scholarship to Harvard, unlike him, and that I now worked at Hogwarts Hills bank whilst he had bigger and better plans. I had come close to pounding his head in several times throughout dinner, but my other younger siblings had kept me sane.

Fred and George had managed to sneak cockroaches into Percy's mashed potatoes. Ron continually asked me questions about what I had been up to, his eyes eager to listen to me ramble on about what I consider a normal life. And Ginny bounced around me like a three-year-old, telling me of her excitement over entering high school in the fall and asking my opinion on what classes she should take. My younger sibling's enthusiasm over me was enough to cancel out Percy's 'I've got something shoved up my ass' attitude, causing me to be uncharacteristically light-hearted and adventurous. Which is probably why I went up to Fleur and offered to buy her coffee. We hit it off and she moved into my apartment a month later.

The first couple of months of our relationship was a complete whirlwind. Fleur often compared it to some of the smut novels that she read. I was always a bit unnerved over being compared to some guy in a romance novel and so I usually ended her babbling of 'heaving bosoms' by giving her mouth something better to do.

Then our relationship became normal. The passion was still there, but we spent as many nights sitting up and talking about life as we did staying up all night doing…something else. I felt as though we were married, that I had found the future mother of my children--and then it all went to hell.

I noticed her shoe fetish. She constantly complained about my tendency to leave wet towels on the floor. We couldn't agree on what to eat, where to go, or what to watch on TV. The relationship ended in May when I came home from work one day to find my bags packed. She some how managed to kick me out of my own apartment. And because I don't understand women, I let her.

I've been living with Charlie since. The problem is that he confuses me more than women do. He has no sleep schedule for one. I'd wake up at two in the morning to his insane laughter. Leaving my bed to investigate, I'd find him in the living room, eating cold pizza and watching Adult Swim. Likewise, I'd come home from work at 5:30 to see him snuggled up in bed. I once confronted him about his sleeping habits and he explained that he was too busy and full of life to abide by a normal sleep schedule.

"You don't understand, Bill," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet in a hyper manner. "Between work, the guys, concerts, the gym, occasionally dating, awesome TV shows, and the occasional family meeting, there's no place for sleep. I just pencil it in whenever I can. As a matter of fact, I have five minutes of free time right now!" And with that he threw himself onto the couch and was snoring within seconds.

There were other things about Charlie that confused me as well. Like how he could survive with only baking soda and sour milk in the fridge. After living in such insane conditions for over a month, I made the mistake of complaining about it to Mom.

"Oh, Bill, dear," she had sighed on the phone, "why don't you just come back home and stay in your old room for awhile?"

"Mom, I'm twenty five-years-old," I explained, holding a hand over my free ear to drown out Charlie's off-key signing rendition of 'The Safety Dance'. "I can't run back to my mommy and daddy when things are rough."

"Think of it as helping us out," Mom replied.

"Helping you out? What are you going to give me chores to do?"

Mom gave a nervous laugh before lowering her voice slightly, as if she didn't want anyone to overhear her. "No, the truth is…the kids aren't doing so well. Fred and George don't seem to have their priorities straight, and Ron and Ginny both seem to be greatly depressed over everything that had happened."

I was about to comfort my mom, but Charlie had picked that exact moment to grab me and have me tango across the kitchen as he shouted out, "You can dance if you want to. You can leave your friends behind. Because your friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine!"

I placed the phone back to my ear once my brother had released me from his death grip and I told Mom that I'd move back in as soon as I could. Which is how I found myself, several days later, standing in the driveway and gazing at the Weasley house with two large duffle bags in my hands.

I entered the house through the laundry room, crossed the kitchen and went down the hall to my old bedroom. It was immensely stuffy, so I opened the window and plopped down upon my squeaky bed with a sigh, gazing up at the ceiling. It was several minutes later that I realized that something was definitely wrong. It was one in the afternoon and the house was far too quiet.

Leaving my room and crossing the hallway, I barged into the twin's room to find them both still in bed.

"It's one in the fucking afternoon!" I all but yelled as I stomped across their room and opened their shades. They both groaned and recoiled into their sheets. My anger tripled. "Don't you two have jobs or something?" I asked, grabbing a fistful of George's sheet and peering down at him.

"Do you consider watching TV all day a job?" he asked me thickly, opening one eye to gaze at me.

"No," I told him.

"Then we don't have jobs," he replied, taking his sheet from my grasp and disappearing under it again.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. "Then you two will be cutting the lawn today. It's starting to look like a wildlife preserve out there."

"Who put you in charge?" Fred, or rather the large lump that was Fred, grumpily asked.

"Mom," I told him.

"Oh, that's right, she said something about you coming home for awhile last night at supper. Well, that still doesn't mean that we have to listen to you, brother dear."

I muttered obscenities at them and left the room, going down the hall to check up on the two youngest Weasleys. I checked Ron's room first and was shocked. The room was a horrible mess. Now, Ron's not a tidy boy, but his room was currently rivaling Fred and George's in both messiness and smell. His unmade bed was empty and his window opened. I furrowed my brow and continued onto Ginny's room. Hers was a mess as well though not nearly as bad as the others. Her bed was also empty.

"Where the hell are Ron and Ginny!" I roared, stomping back over to the twin's bedroom.

"Check the roof," one of the lumps told me.

"The roof?"

"Yeah, they've been sleeping in odd places lately."

I was about to scold the twins for telling such lies when a door slammed and Ginny rushed past me and into the bathroom. A second past and then we heard her retching. The twins sat up in bed with worried expressions on their faces.

"She really needs to start taking care of herself again," George stated. I was about to question him when Ron came in, nodded his hello, and went into the bathroom. I stood in shock for a few moments. Unless my eyes had deceived me, Ron had longish hair and the beginnings of a beard. I went to stand in the bathroom doorway and sure enough, Ron was scruffy looking. He stood behind Ginny and held her hair back as she continued to retch.

"What the hell's going on here?" I asked as I rubbed my temples.

"Those two are depressed and aren't taking care of themselves," George explained, coming up behind me and pointing at Ron and Ginny in the bathroom.

"Well spotted, George," I told him, rolling my eyes. "Now, do you know what's wrong with you and Fred? Besides the fact that you're both in Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas?"

"What's wrong with our pajamas?" Fred asked, coming out of the bedroom with a hurt expression on his face.

"Only the fact that it's after one in the afternoon and you're still in them," I said tersely. "Now, change into some normal clothes and cut the lawn."

The twins laughed. "We didn't listen to you when we were kids, Billy boy, and we're not going to listen to you now."

And that was when I lost my temper. I grabbed the twins by their shirts and all but hurled them into their bedroom. "CHANGE CLOTHES AND CUT THE LAWN BEFORE I FUCKING CASTRATE YOU!" I yelled at them. They gazed up at me from where they landed on the floor. Their eyes were wide with both shock and a newfound respect.

"Fine," Fred stated at last. "We've been meaning to work on our tans anyway."

I slammed their door and snorted. "Yeah, you guys go work on your freckles," I mumbled before turning my attention back to the bathroom. Ginny seemed to be better and was standing. Ron was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. They were both staring at me.  
"Ron, when was the last time you looked into a mirror?" I asked my sixteen-year-old brother. He shrugged. I pointed to the mirror opposite him and his eyes followed my finger.

"Huh," he stated nonchalantly, "Must have taken ages for me to grow this thing." He rubbed his slight beard thoughtfully.

"Yes, well, it makes you look like a hobo," I told him. "I want you to take a shower and get rid of that sand and smell. Then I want you to shave. Then clean your room and lastly, help me with dinner."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever, I'm going to bed."

I blocked his exit from the bathroom. "You're taking a shower," I told him.

Ron smirked at me. "What are you going to do? Castrate me? Hermione's gone, man, you can have 'em"

"Eww," Ginny squealed. She was standing next to Ron.

"Ginny," I said softly. "Go get some Sprite for that stomach, you'll be showering when Ron gets done." I stepped aside just enough for Ginny to leave the bathroom before turning back to a now fuming Ron.

"I told you, I'm not going to take a shower!" Ron all but yelled.

Gritting my teeth in anger, I pushed my youngest brother into the bathtub and started the shower. The water cascaded down upon him, soaking his hair, shirt, and shorts. He was glaring and breathing deeply. I glared back.

"You're going to do exactly what I tell you or else you're going to find someplace else to live," I threatened.

"Mom and Dad wouldn't let you kick me out," Ron retaliated.

I walked to the bathroom door and smirked back. "Sure they won't." And with that, I closed the door.

The twins chose that moment to stumble out of their room. They were both in sneakers and shorts with no shirts. "I'd put a shirt on if I were you," I told them, following them down the hall and into the kitchen. Neither seemed to have heard me. I sighed. "Yeah, whatever. Get skin cancer for all I care." I came to the kitchen table where Ginny was nursing her Sprite.

"Wanna talk about it?" I asked her, plopping down in a chair.

She shook her head in frustration. "My best friend since five and the guy I might possibly love are far, far away."

"Yeah, and you're doing them a load of good acting like a big baby," I told her. Her eyes widened. I wasn't sure if she was shocked at my tone or if realization over how she was acting dawned upon her. I really don't understand women.

**···Ron···**

My mother really doesn't even try to keep her voice down. I wonder if she realizes that she does it or if it's just a habit she doesn't know she developed. I had spent the past six weeks drifting by in a sort of haze. I didn't do anything, didn't go out with anyone. Seamus, Neville and Dean had called me several times but I would only mumble a reason why I couldn't accompany them on whatever excursion they were planning and hang up the phone. I spent most of my days on my ass, and Mom got sick of it so she beckoned Bill to return home. Bill's been home for less than twenty four hours and he already screwed up my happy drifting! I'm clean-shaven again! I was quite proud of that beard I was growing.

I was on my bed listening to Bill and Mom argue about my long hair. Mom wants it cut off right away and Bill says he likes it. Seeing as Bill's hair is much longer than mine, Mom should be focusing her attention more on him.

Ginny's cleaning her room. The doors that separate our rooms are outlined in the bright gold light from her room and I can hear her moving stuff around. She's trying to get her life back to normal and since she's trying, everyone is going to expect me to try too. Everyone can go to hell because I'm going to spend the rest of my summer on my ass.

**···**

_From: Harry  
__Sent: June 27th, 2:05 PM  
__To: Ronnikins  
__Subject: Don't ever live in a group home!_

_Hey, Ron. Long time, no talk. I'm sure you're probably wondering what happened to Draco and I after we were dramatically taken away from your house on graduation night so I thought I'd fill you in. We were taken to a group home that had six other kids in it. We shared a room with a really bratty ten-year-old who thought he was a God at soccer (Draco and I humbled him after one game). Our foster fathers (yes, Ron, plural) were bastards who pretty much sat around all day. Their names were Bert and Ernie (no, I'm not joking)._

_Life was horrible there. We had one bathroom and for some reason Draco was under the delusion that he had first dibs on it at all times. Even if someone else was already using it. We were about ready to run away and join the circus when this family came in and adopted us. Both of us. Just like that. I was really confused how they could get us so easily when it was hell for your parents until they took us to their mansion of a home. I guess you really can do whatever you want when you have the money._

_Even though the house is huge, Draco and I still have to share a bathroom. I'm getting really tired of sharing with that guy. But the family is relatively nice. The man's name is Larry and his wife's name is Susan. They have one daughter named Jennifer. She's nine and too cute for her own good. Larry's very boisterous and Susan is quiet. Apparently Larry really wanted sons, but other than that, Draco and I have no idea why they adopted us. Speaking of Draco, he just came into my room, searching for his remote control. He says hi._

_And that's what happened. According to Draco, the police haven't found any evidence that Sirius, Remus, and Narcissa are dead. This news has brought me out of mourning. I don't think they're dead. Maybe I'm in denial. I don't know. Anyway, I have to go. Jennifer wants to go swimming (they have a pool in the backyard) so I have to sit out there and play lifeguard. _

_E-mail me back sometime,  
__Harry_

**·**

_From: I'm so pretty  
__Sent: June 29th, 7:28 PM  
__To: Weasel III  
__Subject: I know you miss me._

_Dear Weasel III,_

_I left my school bag in the closet in your family's office. My lucky pen was in that school bag. If you could be so kind as to mail it back to me, I would really appreciate it. And say hello to the other weasels for me._

_ME! (Draco)_

**·**

_From: Damn, I look good  
__Sent: June 29th, 8:12 PM  
__To: Weasel IV  
__Subject: Harry Potter is an ass!_

_Ginny,_

_Harry just called me narcissistic and said that I have my head up my ass! First of all, what does narcissistic mean? Secondly, please reassure me that I'm not narcissistic and that I do not have my head up my ass. Thirdly, how's Noelle? I want to e-mail her but I don't know what to say._

_Love (because I know you do),_

_Draco_

**·**

_From: Mione  
__Sent: July 2nd, 10:07 AM  
__To: Ginny  
__Subject: The most horrible, God-awful summer ever!_

_Ginny,_

_Sorry I didn't write sooner. Once I got here, I decided to make myself busy so I'm not bored and missing you guys. So I signed up for some summer classes at the local college (it's never too early to get college credits) and got a job at the local movie theater. Do you realize how much popcorn people spill? What's really horrible is when they spill soda too because the soda makes the popcorn stick to the floor. _

_My classes end in two weeks so I'll have time for proper e-mails then. I hope you and everyone else is doing alright._

_Love,  
__Hermione_

**·**

_From: Mione  
__Sent: July 2nd, 10:57 AM  
__To: Ron  
__Subject: (None)_

_I miss you. A lot._

_Love,  
__Hermione_

**·**

_From: The First Noelle  
__Sent: July 5th, 9:39 PM  
__To: Mione  
__Subject: We've got a problem_

_Mione,_

_How are you? I got your e-mail. I'm glad you're keeping busy. Are college classes hard? I'll probably take some next summer. Anyway, have you been in contact with either Ginny or Ron? I tried calling Ginny a few times this summer and she wasn't very talkative either time, which is unlike her. I ran into Seamus and Neville at the 4th of July celebrations and they said that Ron's been aloof too._

_I've been wondering if I should just go over there and force them out of their funk? But I don't know. I don't want to force them to do something that they don't want to do and I heard that their anger can be pretty bad. What do you think?_

_Your friend,  
__Noelle_

**·**

_From: Hermione  
__Sent: July 6th, 8:44 AM  
__To: Noelle  
__Subject: Risk it_

_Noelle,_

_Hey! I'm doing alright, I guess. The college classes are more difficult than high school, but they intrigue me. Work is getting better now that I'm getting used to it and learning who everyone is. We've got some characters here. One of my coworkers likes to stare into the light and then try to catch the specks of color that flash before his eyes when he looks away. Another coworker, Gavin, is really full on himself. Reminds me of Draco in away._

_Anyway, it's really not like Ginny and Ron to be acting this way. I haven't heard from either of them either. I say you gather up all of your courage, march right over there and get them out of the house. Good luck!_

_Love,  
__Hermione_

**·**

_From: Hermione  
__Sent: July 6th, 9:24 AM  
__To: The Twins  
__Subject: Ron and Ginny_

_Fred and George,_

_I haven't heard from Ron or Ginny all summer. Are they alright?_

_Hermione_

**·**

_From: The Fab Two  
__Sent: July 8th, 2:17 AM  
__To: Ron's ex-girlfriend who also happens to be Ginny's girlfriend but in an entirely different way  
__Subject: Why does everyone say 'Fred' first?_

_How did you get our e-mail address?_

_George (Fred's answering nature's call)_

**·**

_From: Hermione  
__Sent: July 9th, 7:45 AM  
__To: The dorks  
__Subject: Because George and Fred doesn't have the same ring to it_

_You sent me a forward once and I saved your e-mail address incase of emergencies. I didn't need to know where Fred was. And you guys didn't answer my question._

_Hermione_

**·**

_From: The Fantastic 4 minus 2  
__Sent: July 9th, 3:48 PM  
__To: The insane woman who's up at 7:45 in the morning  
__Subject: George and Fred has an excellent ring to it, what are you talking about?_

_They've been a bit depressed lately. But don't worry, Bill came home today and has been pushing us all around. We'll update you if there're any changes in our younger siblings._

_Forge…or should we say Gred?_

**·**

_From: Hermione  
__Sent: July 9th, 6:30 PM  
__To: Noelle  
__Subject: Definitely risk it_

_I've just received confirmation from the twins that both Ginny and Ron are depressed. You really have to help them! Please? Gosh, I feel so useless over here._

_Hermione._

**···**

**End Author's Note:** Whew, I got through it. This turned out much, much different from what I originally planned it to be. See, it was supposed to be like HHI with just everyone's POV but then I got the brain fart to keep the story centered around the people who actually attend Hogwarts and to have an e-mail section at the end as a sort of way to tell what's happening to Harry, Draco, and Hermione. I stole the e-mail idea from 'The Naked Quidditch Match' story. A great story, you should all read it. Well, how did you guys like it? I hope you liked it. I really do. Sequels are tricky.


	2. Draco's Hair

**Hogwarts High II  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** I really don't feel up to writing this, but I know that if I don't start on this soon, I'll drive myself crazy…Okay, with that said, I have a few announcements to make. First of all, I have changed my mind. I said earlier that I was going to keep HHII focused around those who still lived in Hogwarts Hills and just keep you updated about the others by e-mails. Well, that was really difficult and was part of the reason for my writer's block with this chapter, so I'm scratching that idea. As you can see if you look down, I'm just going to go with whoever's character I feel like writing in. I have kept the e-mails, seeing as they're amusing; however, come HHIII, the e-mails shall be gone. So enjoy them while you can. Secondly, in my epilogue for HHI, I believe I said that Andromeda was 40...I have decided that that's too young, and I have now decided that she shall be 49 (I always pictured her the oldest, even though I now know that Bellatrix is the oldest.) I made Tonks 26 in this fic (I don't know her exact age). Lastly, I would like to warn all of you that I, as usual, have not proofread this.

**Disclaimer: **I have to get used to this keyboard…and I don't own HP…Game Stop…Fed Ex…Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve…

Chapter Two  
_Draco's Hair_

_µ I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now… µ _

**···Draco···**

It was a very nice dream. I was back at the old school. Little underclassmen were bowing down to me. Potter, the Weasels, and Granger were putting up with me. And Noelle was smiling at me. Yes, it was a very good dream, so you can understand why I was highly upset to be awoken from it.

It was early; couldn't have been after six in the morning. I was fast asleep, having that incredibly good dream, in the huge bed that my newest family had provided for me when I was awoken by my mattress springing up and down. Opening my eyes grudgingly and flopping over onto my back, I was greeted by a smiley child in a pink nightgown and bunny slippers. Said child was jumping on my bed.

"Jenny!" I groaned, rolling back over and trying to ignore the fact that my mattress was still springing up and down. "Go back to bed!"

"It's morning, silly," she replied. She continued to jump upon my bed.

"No it isn't," I mumbled into my pillow. When she continued to jump upon my bed, I got fed up, left said bed, and held out my arms to Jenny. Thinking that I was consenting to go and play with her, she leapt into my arms, squealing with delight. I carried her out of my room and across the hall where I barged into Potter's room and plopped her down upon his bed.

"What the…!" Potter exclaimed, sitting up in bed and looking alarmed. He blinked rapidly for a moment as he registered that Jenny was giggling at the foot of his bed.

"G'night," I told him, leaving his room and returning to my own. I was just falling back into a peaceful slumber when my door opened once again, this time by Larry who opened my blinds in a flourish while talking loudly.

"What now?" I asked, sitting up groggily and blinking the sun out of my eyes. My mind barely registered a pajama clad Potter entering my room, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Boys!" Larry exclaimed, boisterously. "I'm taking you to the club today!"

"The club?" asked Potter, perplexed.

"Not the country club?" I whined, wincing slightly. "I'm always bored at those things."

"Just one game of golf and I'll let you go," Larry replied, clapping me on my shoulder before leaving the room. And that's how Harry and I found ourselves dressed in khakis and sweater vests and standing on a golf course at an ungodly hour in the morning. Larry was superb at golf, I was adequate enough, and Potter was completely horrible. Larry didn't seem to mind, however. He kept telling us good ways to invest our inheritance and about how we should be looking for a 'nice bird' to settle down with.

"Aren't we a bit young to be thinking about settling down?" Harry asked, lugging his clubs across the grassy lawn.

Larry paused and turned around to face us. "How old are you?" he asked, perplexed.

"Sixteen," I replied.

"Sixteen at the end of this month," answered Harry.

"Really?" Larry asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "You're sure?

Harry and I exchanged glances. "We know how old we are."

"Well, this is a bit of a surprise," Larry announced, turning back around and continuing his walking. "I was under the impression that you two were about to come of age. You look older." There was a long, awkward silence after our announcement of our ages, during which we just continued to walk toward the club, having finished our golfing.

**···Tonks···**

"Mother, where are you taking me?" I asked desperately as my mother dragged me through the wooded area around our home. I had just moved back into my parent's house after having a fall out with my roommate, and my mother was not acting like herself. She seemed to possess a great amount of energy for a woman in her upper 40s. There was a glint in her eyes, as if she was hiding a secret, which, after awhile, it became clear that she was hiding something, due to the fact that she would randomly disappear for hours at a time.

I decided to confront her about it this morning, but I was shocked beyond belief when she grabbed my arm and led me outside toward the wooded area. I didn't think she would confess to what she was hiding so quickly.

My mother did not answer my question, however. She merely continued plowing through the foliage, grasping my hand for dear life and urging me onward. Finally, we came to an ancient house that looked as though it was about to fall apart. The house's condition did not deter my mother, who marched up the front steps and barged into the house unannounced, dragging me along.

"Dammit, Andromeda! Warn us when you're going to barge in!"

I was shocked beyond belief to see my second cousin, Sirius, stomp into the musty living room, a dish towel thrown over his shoulder. Sirius was a good deal younger than my mother, though the age gap didn't affect their relationship. They were close. So close, in fact, that Sirius and his friends used to baby-sit me when they were teenagers.

I remember being seven-years-old and giggling at their crazy antics. Sirius spoiled me, James treated me like I was an adult and not a tiny girl, and Remus--well, Remus was my first crush. I was heart-broken a year later when Remus went off to college.

I saw Sirius occasionally over the next couple of years, but when I was 12, he was arrested for a murder which he didn't commit. I hadn't seen him since, nor he I. Sirius blinked several times as he stared at me.

"Who's the cotton candy?" he asked, wiping his hands on the towel he had over his shoulder.

I was confused for a moment until I realized that he was referring to my hair. I smiled shyly and ran a hand through my brilliantly flamboyant locks.

"Is that my little Tonks?" Sirius continued. My blush intensified. I had never liked my first name and Sirius always called me by my preferred last name.

"It's good to see you, Sirius," I told him after he had scooped me up and twirled me around in a backbreaking hug.

I turned a quizzical eye toward my mother.

"Why are you hiding your cousin in a run-down house?" I asked her.

"It's a long story that I'll tell you later, dear," my mother replied, waving a hand at me. "Your Aunt Narcissa is here as well."

"Narcissa Malfoy?" I asked in a shocked shriek.

"Like I said," my mother replied. "Long story."

"Very long," Sirius added. "The story spans over the past year and includes mafia members and me raising a 15-year-old boy."

"Who in their right mind would let you raise a 15-year-old?" I asked him.

"Who indeed," Sirius replied, chuckling softly. "REMUS!" he shouted suddenly and I felt a knot form in my stomach. "Remus! Come in here and say hello to my little cousin!"

Remus entered the room a moment later, looking older and more worn than he did when he was seventeen, but still handsome. He was scratching his stomach absentmindedly, and his eyes were squinty as if he had just been awoken from a nap.

"Tonks?" he asked me after a minute of surveying my frame.

"Remus," I replied, gracing him with what I hoped to be my most alluring smile.

A half-smile play its way across Remus' lips as a mischievous glint shown in his eyes. "Last time I saw you, you were in footy pajamas," he announced with a smirk that was not unlike my cousin's.

"And now she has BOOBS!" Sirius announced loudly. My mother slapped him upside his head for the remark.

I suddenly felt fingers brushing the back of my head and, upon turning around to investigate, I came face to face with my Aunt.

"Honey, what did you do to your hair?" she asked. I was so shocked at the endearment, that I slinked back and sat down upon the nearby couch.

"Okay," I stated at last. "I'm not a child anymore; I'm twenty-six," the announcement of my age wasn't really necessary, but I wanted Remus to know that I was, indeed, a woman now and not a child. "I'm greatly confused as to why my Aunt, my cousin, and my cousin's friend are living in an abandoned house , and why my mother is hiding them. So…talk."

The four of them exchanged glances for a moment before Sirius spoke:

"Well, it all started last autumn when I gained full custody of Harry Potter."

···**Ron**···

"Ronnie!"

I emitted a loud 'oof' as Seamus, Dean, and Neville tackled me in the mall, sending me to the floor with them heaped on top of me. They continued to shout out their greetings as they scrambled off of me and held out their hands to help me up.

"Where have you been all summer, man?" Seamus asked.

"Yeah, you're missing some really good snow cones!" Neville added.

"Hi, Ginny," Dean greeted, sending a smile toward my younger sister.

Two hours prior to this bombardment of questions, I was awakened by Ginny and Noelle hovering over my bed. I must have stared at them for a good two minutes before it registered in my brain that I was half naked. This realization caused me to dive under my blankets and shout out obscenities at the two girls. To my complete and utter horror, four hands reached under my covers and pulled me out, and before I knew it the feisty red-heads had managed to talk me into showering, shaving, and accompanying them to the mall, where I have been for the past forty-five minutes, bored out of my mind while I watched the girls inquire about what outfits look good on them.

"I've been sulking," I told Seamus.

"I can make my own damn snow cones," I added to Neville.

"And don't talk to my sister," I commanded Dean.

Ginny whacked me on the back of my head, sending my longish hair flying over my eyes. "Don't mind him," she told the others kindly. "We're trying to ease him back into society slowly. We figure he'll be back to his polite," Noelle snorted at this, "self by the time school starts back up."

My friends broke out into grins and clapped me on my back, obviously happy to see me alive and well.

"Ron was just accompanying us whilst we look for flattering jeans that cost less than $50," Noelle announced. I winced. My friends just stared blankly at me.

"Wanna go to Game Stop?" Seamus asked me at last.

"Yeah, alright," I replied. And with that, us guys left the women on their never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of jeans.

···**Bill**···

I stared at the twins. They stared at me. The clock ticked away the seconds.

"Alright," I said at last, "what do you mean you're not going to college?"

···**Hermione**···

"Ow, ow, ow. Ow, ow, ow."

"Seth what's wrong?" I asked at last, snapping my head to my right to gaze at my coworker, Seth, who was scooping up popcorn in the popcorn machine.

"I have a cut on my hand and the salt and oil of the popcorn are making it burn!" Seth whined.

"Gavin, would you switch with Seth please?" I asked my other coworker, who was standing by the soda machine, eating ice.

"I'm not going anywhere near that death trap," Gavin replied, popping an ice cube into his mouth. "And I don't remember who died and put you in charge."

"It's not a death trap," I tried to argue, ignoring for the time being his remark about me being in charge. As my luck would have it, however, the popcorn machine decided to launch one scalding hot popcorn at Seth, hitting him dangerously close to his eye.

"Damn you, popcorn machine! Damn you!" Seth exclaimed, bringing one hand to cover his eye while using the other to point menacingly at the popcorn machine.

"That's it," I announced, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "I'm going on a theatre check!" And with that, I left the boys to their insanity and went to check on the audience. I stood in the back of the auditorium, my eyes scanning the crowd for popcorn throwing and my ears alert for loud talking. There was none, however, so my attention was soon drawn toward the screen. An elaborate fight scene seemed to be taking place.

"Does it seem to be in focus to you?" sounded in a hushed whisper so close to my ear that I could feel the breath blow past. I gave a shocked, 'eep' and jumped slightly. Those sitting in front of me turned around in annoyance and glared. Turning around myself, I came face to face with a smirking Gavin.

"It's fine," I told him angrily before stalking off. My ear was tingling slightly where his breath had brushed past it.

···**Bill**···

Dusk had come and the twins and I remained at the table, staring at one another. Ginny and Ron had returned from their shopping trip ages ago. No one bothered us. The kitchen was getting dark. And still, we stared.

"What do you mean, you want to open a shop?" I asked at last.

·

_From: My Brothers are Insane  
__Sent: July 17th, 9:45 PM  
__To: The Girl Who Makes Big Hair Look Good  
__Subject: Sorry_

_Hey, Mione!_

_I'm so sorry that I haven't replied to any of your e-mails. As I'm sure you know by now, Harry and Draco were taken away from us and put in a home the day of the twin's graduation. That, on top of everything else, just sent Ron and I over the edge. We got so depressed that I began getting sick every other day and Ron's appearance morphed into one similar to a hobo. He grew a beard! We're both getting better now. Ron shaved his beard off this morning (mostly because Noelle and I threatened to do it ourselves) and we're spending more time socializing than moping now. Also, since I know you're still madly in love with him, I will take this moment to assure you that Ron's longish hair (yeah, he hasn't got it cut in awhile) looks good on him and he was a sweetheart and held my hair back while I was throwing up. I shall pause here and let you sigh in a dreamy manner._

_Done? Good. While it seems Ron and I are getting back to our old selves (though we both really miss you ((and Harry and even, in an odd way, Draco))) it appears that the twins are in some sort of trouble. They've been sitting at the dinner table with Bill (who's home for an indefinite period of time) having some sort of staring contest all day. As a matter of fact, judging by the light on in the kitchen, they're still there._

_Apparently Ron just went into the kitchen to get some juice and he asked them what was going on. (I overheard from where I'm sitting in the office.) Ron just shouted, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COLLEGE?" so I'm assuming that's what's up._

_Well, I would love to elaborate on the going-ons of my house, but I feel as though I must e-mail everyone else now and assure them that I am alive…Ron too. I hope your summer is going good!_

_Love,_

_Ginny _

·

_From: Ginny, because Ron's a lazyass  
__Sent: July 17th, 10:27 PM  
__To: The Boy Who Makes Messy Hair Look Good  
__Subject: We all know Ron's lazy._

_Harry,_

_I must say that I'm greatly relieved to hear that you and Draco are out of the group home and are in a decent place. What's Draco like as a big brother? I'm sorry for the lack of e-mails over the past month. Ron and I were--busy. Well, I'm sure you'll get the whole story out of Hermione sooner or later._

_Anyway, I'm just sending this along so that you know that we're all alive and well. I'm sure Ron will get around to e-mailing you eventually. Everyone here misses you (and in a sad, sad way, Draco too)._

_Love, _

_Ginny_

·

_From: I do not love you, Malfoy  
__Sent: July 17th, 10: 39 PM  
__To: He whom looks good  
__Subject: Narcissism_

_Draco,_

_Narcissistic means that you're full of yourself, which you are. As for your head being up your ass…well, I'm going to agree with Harry on that one as well, but don't worry, we still love you. Even though I said I didn't love you. Aw, what the hell, everyone one loves you in a way. And just so you know, Ron plans on Fed Exing your lucky pen back to you tomorrow. Careful, I saw him chewing on it earlier._

_Ginny_

·

_From: Mione  
__Sent: July 19th, 7:33 AM  
__To: You Guys Really Are Idiots  
__Subject: How dumb are you?_

_Dum dum and his twin,_

_What do you mean, you're not going to college?_

_Hermione_

·

_From: We're geniuses actually  
__Sent: July 19th, 4:59 PM  
__To: She Who Sounds Like Our Brother  
__Subject: Which one of us are you calling Dum dum?_

_Hermione,_

_Why in God's name are you up at 7:33 AM? _

_Forge_

·

_From: I hate my messy hair  
__Sent: July 21st, 2.21 PM  
__To: The Girl Weasley  
__Subject: Yeah, Ron is a lazy ass, isn't he?_

_Gin, _

_Draco's big brothering skills consist of dumping the kid on me. Larry was highly surprised to hear that we were only 16. He was under the impression that we would be coming of age soon. It has made both Draco and I suspicious of him, but neither of us will say anything because we like sleeping in clean sheets too much. They're entering us into a prep school. A PREP SCHOOL! We'll have to wear ties and everything. Oh, how I miss Hogwarts High at the moment._

_Draco's currently out by the pool. He's under the impression that he'll get a tan. I thought about telling him the likelihood of someone with hair as light as his getting a tan, but decided to pass it up. Nevermind, I just opened my window and called out to him that having nearly bleach blonde hair, he'll probably burn instead of tan. He gave me a rather rude hand gesture._

_Well, I'm going to go e-mail Hermione now and get the 'full story' about yours and Ron's whereabouts earlier this summer._

_Harry_

·

_From: I got a tan, in your face, Potter!  
__Sent: July 21st, 11:00 PM  
__To: Weasel III  
__Subject: The Pen_

_Ron, _

_I have received my lucky pen. Thank you for sending it, but you do know that you're a bastard for chewing on it , don't you?_

_In other news, Harry was under the delusion that I'm a natural blonde._

_The Tan One_

·

_From: Ron  
__Sent: July 25th, 7:09 PM  
__To: An apparently tan Draco  
__Subject: Your Hair_

_Draco,_

_Aren't you a natural blonde?_

_Ron_

·

_From: I Should be a Male Model  
__Sent: July 28th, 12:39 PM  
__To: Ginny's Brother…one of them anyway  
__Subject: I love talking about my hair_

_Ron,_

_I have black hair, actually. I inherited it from my mother who gets it from her 'Black' side. She's been dying her hair since high school and mine since I was young._

_Draco_

·

_From: Ron  
__Sent: July 31st, 12:01 AM  
__To: The Birthday Boy  
__Subject: Happy Birthday_

_Harry,_

_Welcome to the life of insane gas prices, man!_

_Ron_

_P.S. Tell Draco that I don't believe that he has black hair._

···

**End Author's Note: **Whew. That was difficult, let me tell you. I hope you guys liked it though. As for Draco's hair color, I brought that out in HHI (though I know that in canon he's a natural blonde) to emphasize his connection with the Blacks, seeing as I messed up Draco's (and Narcissa's) character so much and made him good. I tell you, the insane brain waves I get. 'Let's make Draco have black hair!' Yeah, it's nuts. But I'm stuck with it. How do you like the Remus/Tonks that I attempted up there? I never wrote Remus/Tonks before so you'll have to bare with me.


	3. I've Butchered These Characters

**Hogwarts High II  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note: **Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! -flinches as rotten fruit is thrown at me once again for my tardiness- I didn't think that it would take me this long to update once again. Thank you for your patience though. It's pouring here. All summer with very little rain and now it pours. But the pouring rain has put me in a writing mood and I have been writing _Dream On_ for so long that I need a break from it. So I have returned to the most beloved of my fics. The happy one. Chapter Three is the last summer chapter, which means that they go back to school in the next chapter! Yay! I always found the out-of-school parts difficult to write for some reason.

**Disclaimer:** I just watched _Sin City _which I don't own…I also don't own Harry Potter (or the wonderful new trailer)…Champagne Supernova by Oasis…Hungry, Hungry Hippos…Pikachu…

Chapter Three  
_I've Butchered These Characters_

_µ But you and I will never die…the world's still spinning around and we don't know why… µ_

**···Harry···**

I was in that space between sleep and reality when a piercing scream echoed throughout the corridors of the mansion. My eyes shot open immediately, my chest rising and falling with every quick breath I took. I stayed in bed for a moment, lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling and taking in my surroundings. Sunlight seeped through my blinds and illuminated my room. The possibility of us being robbed in plain daylight was unlikely, but I couldn't think of any other reason for the scream. Loud voices were drifting up the stairs, causing me to leave my bed.

I was just reaching for the doorknob when panic constricted my chest. Had one of Tom's men found Draco and I? I threw open my closet door and reached for my baseball bat before I left my room and descended the stairs. The voices sounded like they were coming from the kitchen so I went there, holding my bat at ready as if I were actually playing baseball.

The large kitchen was also brightly lit. Jenny sat at the table eating a sandwich. She was smiling. Her mother was not. Susan had her hands over her cheeks, her eyes screwed up as she stared at a bald male sitting with his back to me at the kitchen island. Susan's eyes shot over to me and she quickly pointed at baldy.

"Just look at what he's done to himself!" she squealed.

Baldy turned his head to gaze at me over his shoulder, a smirk playing across his lips. My bat made the dull 'clunk' sound that metal makes against hard surfaces as it hit the floor; I had dropped it in my shock. Draco was the male sitting at the kitchen island. I pinched myself but it was no dream. Blondie was now baldy. I wobbled over to the nearest chair and sat down. My knees seemed to have grown considerably weak from shock.

"What the…?" I asked Draco, running my fingers through my own hair, unable to believe that this was happening.

"No one believes my natural hair color," Draco explained nonchalantly, throwing an arm casually across the back of his chair. "So I'm going to prove it. Don't worry, Potter. My lovely locks will be back soon."

"But not soon enough!" Susan all but shrieked as she placed her hands on the island countertop and leaned in closer to us, glaring so much that she could have given Snape a run for his money. "Your school starts in two weeks! Two weeks until you're introduced officially into this society! What will people think of you when you look like that!" she snapped as she straightened and indicated Draco's bald head.

"Don't worry," Draco said, reaching for a banana, "I'm so handsome that I made being bald look good."

Susan made a frustrated noise and turned her back to us. "You idiot boy! Bald is not in at the moment!"

I was confused at Susan's sudden change in personality. The whole month that we had been living in her home, she had been quiet and abiding. Now she was down right scary. I looked over to Draco to see if he was as confused as I, but Draco seemed to know what was going on. It must have something to do with being rich.

"I'll make it in," Draco explained, jumping off of his chair and walking toward the kitchen door.

"So you're delusional as well," Susan said mainly to herself as she rummaged around the medicine cabinet. "Pity. We were hoping to allow you to date Jaclyn seeing as you're the one with the proper breeding, but now I'm afraid we'll have to give her to the orphan here," she waved at hand at me.

Her announcement had stopped Draco in his tracks, his hand on the door. "Number one: Who's Jaclyn? Number two: We're both orphans, or have you forgotten where you got us?"

"Er…I don't want her," I added stupidly, not knowing what the hell they were talking about. Was being rich really this complicated?

"Jaclyn is my niece," Susan snapped. "And I realize that you're both orphans but at least you were raised by an influential man instead of heathens."

"I beg your pardon?" I asked indignantly. Sirius may have drooled a bit, but he was far from a heathen. "And there has got to be a law against us doing anything with Jaclyn," I added, shuddering at the thought.

Draco was observing Susan closely. His scrutinizing glare only angered her more.

"You may have just ruined your future, Draco," she whispered fiercely, her face very close to Draco's. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

Draco narrowed his eyes in thought. There was a tense moment before he spoke up with an unusual reply:

"I want to play Hungry, Hungry Hippos."

"Yay!" Jenny shrieked from the table. She scuttled out of her chair and skipped over to Draco as her mother continued to stare at him incredulously.

"Up for a game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos, Potter?" Draco asked me, his left hand pushing open the kitchen door and his right hand clasping Jenny's. Susan's head turned toward me, her nostrils flaring, making her look like a bull ready to charge. I jumped slightly and followed Draco and Jenny out of the kitchen.

"You're insane," I told Draco as we headed up the steps.

"I'm also cold," Draco added, bringing his free hand to cover his bald head. "Is it chilly in here to you?"

**···Ginny···**

"Stop it, Ginny! You're getting butter in my hair!"

Ron whipped his head around to glare at me over his shoulder. We were at the mega-plex standing in the long lobby line for the last big blockbuster of the summer. Ron and I had been the first of the group to arrive and we quickly reserved a spot in line as we waited for the others. Ron kept the spot when I went off to the concession stand to get popcorn and candy, and now I was holding the spot seeing as the video games that were next to the line were too tempting for Ron. He had stepped over the velvet ropes and was playing a martial arts game that was close enough for me to throw popcorn at him.

"God forbid anything happen to your hair," I replied sarcastically as Ron lost his video game and returned to stand in line with me.

"My hair is awesome," Ron stated as he wrestled with opening his bag of Twizzlers. He had just managed to get it open when a loud shriek caught our attention and before either of us could do anything, Lavender had practically thrown herself at my startled brother. Her slender fingers slid through Ron's longish hair and Ron merely stood there like an idiot, a Twizzler hanging out of his mouth.

"It's so soft," Lavender stated in an awed whisper as her hands remained in Ron's hair. "What conditioner do you use?" she asked him.

"Whatever's in the bathroom," I replied firmly, yanking Lavender's hands out of my brother's hair. I liked Lavender enough, but Hermione was still my best friend; therefore, I was going to keep as many girls away from Ron as I could. He was Hermione's.

Lavender glared at me for interrupting her pretty pathetic excuse for flirting, but whatever cat fight that might have ensued was discouraged by Dean and Noelle showing up. Their gazes went from Lavender and I glaring heatedly at one another to Ron standing between us with that damn Twizzler still hanging out of his mouth.

"Did we miss something?" Noelle asked curiously.

"No," Lavender and I both replied at once. Ron merely shrugged and punched Dean on the arm. Dean returned the gesture.

"Are Parvati and Seamus going to show up?" I asked, glancing at my watch. It was nearly show time. Dean and Lavender both exchanged glances.

"I broke up with Parvati in June," Dean announced, sending an apologetic look at me and Ron for not telling us sooner. "We've been dating since eighth grade; I just thought we should see other people."

"And I broke up with Seamus shortly after for the same reason," Lavender added.

Ron and I exchanged scared glances. Dean had been particularly nice to me over the past couple of weeks but I had thought that it was due to him just being happy that I was no longer sitting at home depressed, and this was the first time that Lavender had seen Ron since school ended and if she liked his new hairstyle that much…

We were saved from the awkward moment by the line finally moving to go into the auditorium. Ron and I tried as hard as we could to avoid sitting by our admirers but to no avail. Lavender nearly plowed Noelle over to sit by Ron and Dean had climbed over several people to sit by me.

I felt sorry for Noelle during the movie. The big blockbuster turned out to be a boring piece of crap and she had to put up with Lavender continually grabbing Ron's arm during the 'scary' parts and Dean's attempts to casually brush my arm.

By the end of the movie, Noelle was slouched down in her seat with her feet propped on the chair in front of her and her head resting in one hand as her other hand flew a napkin airplane around in an attempt to amuse herself.

"Is it over?" she asked when she noticed the rest of us standing.

"Yes, thank goodness," I replied. Dean was behind me and inching uncomfortably close so I pushed Ron, who was in front of me, to move faster. My push had sent him right into Lavender. He wrapped a hand around her waist to steady himself and Lavender's hand quickly claimed his. She exclaimed 'Ron' in a mock shocked tone but kept her hand tangled with his. Ron sent me an angry glare over his shoulder.

When we finally made it out of the auditorium, Ron dropped Lavender's hand and stalked into the men's room. Lavender said something about having to relieve a full bladder and grabbed Noelle's hand to drag her along. Dean and I were left in the corridor.

His arm reached around me under the guise of getting a handful of popcorn from the bag that I was holding. I quickly turned around to face him and offered the bag. He took it glumly and sighed.

"Listen, Ginny, I'm going to be straight with you," he said, lugubriously shaking the popcorn bag as if to mix the salt. "I've kind of had my eye on you ever since you broke up with Michael. I thought about breaking up with Parvati then, but I noticed that you and Harry were kind of getting close again so I backed off."

"That was very noble of you," I replied. This talk was making me slightly nervous and I was backing myself up against a wall without realizing it.

"But Harry's gone now," Dean continued, taking a step closer to me. "And he's probably not coming back. So why not take a chance with me?"

"Come, Ginny."

I was saved from answering Dean by Ron who had firmly grabbed my hand and was now leading me out of the theatre so quickly that Dean probably didn't even realize that I was gone.

A fresh summer breeze greeted us as we left the building and entered the parking lot. Ron dropped my hand and the two of us began searching for Old Betsy. Mom and Dad hadn't taken the twin's news that they weren't going to go to college well and had taken the car away from them as a result, giving it to Ron instead.

We both got into the car as quickly as we could and slammed our doors. The car revved up and Ron glanced behind himself and backed out. We were skirting out of the parking lot within seconds, Ron's anger causing him to speed down the street, the street lights and shop lights blurring past us. We sat in silence for a minute before Ron made a sharp right and entered a fast food drive through.

"You want something?" he asked, rolling down his window.

"Chocolate," I said at once.

"Shake?"

"Sure."

Ron talked to the box and a minute later we were back on the street. I was gulping down my chocolate shake, trying not to worry that Ron had a cheeseburger in one hand and a shake in the other while he continued to speed.

"Can you believe those two?" Ron asked at last, breaking the angered silence in the car. "I mean, Dean is my friend and Harry's friend and he has no right moving in on my sister and Harry's ex-girlfriend without consulting us first! And Lavender! I mean, she's hot and everything, and I definitely wouldn't mind…" Ron trailed off suggestively and I shuddered at the mental image he was painting. "But I'm not going to move in on one of my best friend's ex-girlfriend so soon after their break up."

"And what about…?" I asked heatedly, feeling angry that Ron wasn't thinking about the real reason why he was still single.

"I'm thinking about Hermione too," Ron defended himself.

"Sure, whatever," I replied disbelievingly.

"I am, dammit!" Ron placed his shake in the cup holder, reached under his shirt collar and brought out his necklace with Hermione's class ring on it. I gazed at the little silver circle glittering on his chest in the passing street lights.

"You still wear her ring?" I asked him, smiling slightly.

"Not all the time," he replied, but I noticed a slight blush creeping up his neck. "Do you still think about Harry? I mean, I know you two haven't been a couple for over six months but…"

"If Harry had stayed, we'd probably be a couple right now," I replied.

My brother and I were silent for a moment before Ron hastily concealed Hermione's class ring under his shirt and crumbled up the foil that his cheeseburger had been in, throwing it in the backseat before picking up his shake from the cupholder. "Well romance sucks," he announced.

I laughed and we spent the rest of the ride home arguing over which radio station to listen to. Mom was happily fixing herself a cup of tea in the kitchen when we came in.

"Hello, dears," she greeted brightly. "How was the movie?"

"Shitty," Ron replied, throwing his empty shake cup away.

"Language," Mom replied, sitting down at the kitchen table and patting the chairs next to her, indicating that we should join her. Ron sent a pleading look toward his room but sat down nonetheless.

"You're awfully happy," I announced. When Ron and I had left for the movies, Mom and Dad had been arguing with Bill and the twins. Bill had spent the past couple of nights talking with the twins about their plans for their future shop and they had spent the majority of the day trying to coax Mom and Dad into going along with it. Bill had admitted that there was a good chance that the twins were on to something. He even had paper work and statistics to prove it.

"Well, we made an agreement," Mom announced.

"You sell the twins to some lab for testing and we use the money for my college education?" Ron asked dully.

"Funny you should mention that, dear," Mom replied, giving us a slight smile. "We've decided to let the twins try this shop thing out. If they succeed, we'll leave them alone about college. If the shop fails, they'll sell it and use the money to go to college, majoring in genetic engineering."

"Genetic engineering?" I asked, shocked.

"Am I the only one who thinks Fred and George shouldn't be tampering with DNA?" Ron asked.

"It's definitely not a good idea," I assured him.

Mom sighed. "That's why I really hope Bill's right that this thing will work out." Mom took a sip of her tea as Ron and I exchanged scared glances. "Ron, dear, your hair looks as though someone's been running their fingers through it. Is there something you want to tell me, young man?"

**···Draco···**

"Dammit, Pikachu, jump!"

"Take that, Malfoy! I am so kicking your ass!"

"Well I am so totally letting you kick my ass because I pity you and your ugly hair!"

"At least I have hair!"

"For the last time, it'll grow back!"

After playing several games of Hungry, Hungry Hippos, Potter and I had switched over to video games and had been stationed in front of the TV in his room ever since, leaving only occasionally to bring up chips or sodas from the kitchen. It was now evening; Potter's room was lit by whatever was left of the sunset and the bluish glare from the TV screen. He had beaten me at every game we had played that day, excluding Hungry, Hungry Hippos because he let the little squirt win that. Needless to say that I was getting pretty pissed.

"Well, at least I don't have an ugly face like you!" Potter retorted, throwing his controller down.

I gasped in shock. My face? Ugly? Never!

"That's it!" I exclaimed, and before Potter could react, I shot my hand forward and took his glasses.

"Give them back!" he shouted at once, his eyes squinting in an effort to see me more clearly. He lunged at me but I dodged him easily seeing as his aim was slightly off. I got to my feet and raised his glasses over my head.

"Tell me I'm pretty, Potter!" I ordered, "Or else your glasses gets it!"

"You are fucking insane!" Potter replied from his spot on the floor, his eyes merely squinty slits as he tried to will his eyesight to return.

"But I'm pretty!"

"You're insane!"

"That's it!" And with that, I threw Potter's glasses onto the floor and stepped on them. There was a satisfying crack as they snapped under my foot. Potter gasped and stared at the general location of his broken glasses.

"You did not!"

"Oh I so did!"

Potter sent me a glare so vindictive that I was actually scared. He stood up and wandered over to his door blindly.

"Going to go cry, Potter?" I asked him as he flicked the light on in our bathroom. "What are you doing?" I asked, nervous when he didn't answer. I left his room and went to the hallway to gaze into our bathroom. My heart skipped a beat when I saw exactly what he was doing. He had my bottle of moisturizer and he was emptying it into the toilet.

"Damn you, Potter!" I exclaimed once Harry had finished off the majority of the bottle and was now squeezing out the last little bits of it, causing the bottle to make squeaky sounds. Potter threw the empty bottle into the trash can and flushed the toilet as I continued to whine. "I have combination skin, you asshole!"

"Ugh, Aunt Susan was right; you two are hopeless!"

I spun around at the sound of a female voice and came face to face with a sneering blonde girl.

"Who's there?" Potter asked from the bathroom. He was ignored.

"Draco Malfoy," the girl continued, her eyes roaming up and down my frame. "Last time I saw you, you had parents and hair."

I just stared at the girl while my brain flipped through my little black book. When I didn't retort to her comment, the girl continued.

"Are you still as fit as you were last year?" she asked, casually lifting up my T-shirt to glance at my stomach. I immediately pulled my shirt back down and took several steps backward, clumsily running into Potter who had left the safety of the bathroom to see who our visitor was.

"Dammit, Draco, watch where you're going! You know I'm blind as a bat without my glasses!"

"I don't remember you being the shy type, Draco," the girl continued, smirking at us.

"Who ARE you!" I asked at last, pointing Harry in the right direction seeing as he was staring into his bedroom as if the girl was in there. He really must have horrible eye sight. "Did I ever drunkenly sleep with you at one of my parents' parties?"

The girl scowled at this. "No," she answered, crossing her slender arms over her chest. "I've only been to a few of your parents' parties, and the last one I went to was the one they had last summer and you were drunkenly chatting up an umbrella stand at that one. It didn't help my self confidence to know that you'd rather attempt to make-out with an inanimate object than me."

Potter snorted somewhere to my left and I heard him whisper, "umbrella stand," under his breath.

"Shut up, Potter!" I snapped, but it was too late, the girl's icy blue eyes found their way over to Harry and she was now observing him.

"And you must be Harry Potter," she continued, taking a step closer to us and bringing a hand to lightly touch Harry's arm. Harry looked rather uncomfortable.

"Well, you obviously know us, so who the hell are you?" I asked once again. The girl just smiled at us. Her smile was not friendly at all.

"I'm Jaclyn."

**···Tonks···**

"Tonks! Hey, Tonks, wait up!"

I paused on the darkening trail to see Remus running to catch up with me. I had joined my mother, aunt, cousin, and Remus for dinner at the run down house of Black and was now on my way home to watch TV and put off filling out job applications. Shortly after my roommate had kicked me out of our apartment, I had lost my teaching job. Life was not going well at the present time, excluding the fleeting moments in the evening that I got to spend with Remus.

"Are you allowed to venture this far away from the house?" I asked, gracing him with a smirk as I placed my hands upon my hips.

Remus didn't answer but gave me an alluring half smile while he shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against a nearby tree.

"I wanted to ask you something," he informed softly, his eyes locking with mine.

"Oh?" I choked out. I was suddenly finding it difficult to swallow. Remus continued to gaze at me for awhile; he seemed to be sizing me up.

"Well, Narcissa, Sirius and I wanted to ask you something, but the children," he rolled his eyes as he said the last two words, "elected me to tell you privately."

My inquisitive stare turned to an angry glare in a nanosecond. I had suspected Aunt Narcissa picking up on my crush, but to find out that she and my prankster cousin were setting up incidences to get Remus and myself alone together really irked me. I could seduce Remus on my own, thank you very much.

"Well, what is it?" I half sighed, jamming my own hands into my pockets and relaxing my form. If all three of them wanted to ask me the same question, then the question wouldn't be, "Would you like to have hot, passionate sex with me?".

"Well, your mother tells us that you're a social studies teacher," Remus informed, giving me another one of his half smiles. I adverted my eyes from his and hoped he didn't realize that I've wanted to be a social studies teacher ever since he left to go to college to become one.

"Mostly history," I confirmed.

"Andromeda also said that you recently lost your job."

"Damn her! Does she have to tell everyone!" I fumed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about," Remus stated quietly. "I've been laid off loads of times."

"You have?" I asked, my anger subsiding. Remus nodded sadly. It was his turn to advert his eyes.

"I turned into an insomniac when James and Lily died. My work effort slacked a bit. Anyway, I started subbing for Hogwarts High last year and I was supposed to take over the history department this year but…" Remus waved a hand to indicate his hideout. "Harry and Draco were good friends with Ron Weasley. I believe you're distantly related to him?"

My eyes widened. "Very distantly related to him. We must be, I don't know, tenth cousins or something. I pretty much only see the Weasleys when we get invited to the same weddings--and the last one must have been about four years ago! Ron's voice was in the process of changing. It was cute."

Remus chuckled. "Well, Ron's a junior this year so he'll be forced to take American History…"

"And you want me to apply for the job so I can keep an ear out for any news of Harry and/or Draco?" I finished.

"You were always a smart one," Remus complimented.

"Well, I'll apply for the job, but there's no promises of my actually getting hired." I indicated my pink hair. Remus only chuckled.

"You'll get the job, don't worry. Dumbledore's still the principal. He'll think your pink hair will be adding culture to the school."

**···Noelle···**

"Ron!"

There was a loud splash as Lavender tackled a startled Ron and the duo fell into my swimming pool. It was my mother's idea to throw an end-of-summer pool party. She suggested it after making little comments that I haven't been socializing much this summer. I think she was afraid that I'd recoil back into my introverted self and lose all my newfound friends. I obliged because I was fearing the same thing.

Draco and Hermione were gone, leaving me to feel slightly vulnerable in their absence. I got along fine with Ginny, but the fiery redhead was more confident than I was and truth be told, I had always connected better with Hermione.

So I threw the party and invited the Weasleys and anyone else I could think of. Word had apparently gotten out, however, seeing as my backyard was filled with students from Hogwarts High, most of them I didn't even know.

Ron and Ginny were one of the first guests to show up. Both of them were clad in their swimming suits and they informed me that the twins were busy with their shop but sent their hellos. Ginny and I immediately went off to find some lounge chairs and sun ourselves, while Ron helped Dean and Seamus barbeque. Ron was apparently on his way over to ask Ginny and I if we wanted something to eat when he was attacked by Lavender. The two were currently splashing each other playfully in the pool.

"Ugh, he's so pathetic," Ginny remarked, sitting up and taking her sunglasses off to glare at her brother in the pool. "He and Lavender don't have much in common. He just wants some action."

"Well, he has been trying to avoid her for the past couple of weeks," I reasoned. "And she is sort of throwing herself at him. And he is a guy."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "But I still think it's pathetic." We continued to stare as Ron dunked Lavender.

**···Hermione···**

"Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was a nudist?"

"What?"

"I speak the truth."

"Whatever." I threw a piece of popcorn at Gavin teasingly. We had both closed that night only to find that it was pouring down rain when we got off, so we sat under the marquee and ate left over popcorn as we waited for the rain to let up. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was enjoying myself. Ass that he was, Gavin was nonetheless intelligent and could carry on an interesting conversation.

"Are you really going to quit?" he asked suddenly, his voice soft and barely audible over the rain.

"Yeah, I'm anal about my studies so I'm only here until school starts."

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?" I turned my head toward him and was shocked to find his lips touching mine. My body froze up and all I could concentrate on was the kiss. After a moment, I began kissing him back.

**···**

_From: How can I ever face Ron again?  
__Sent: August 25th, 12:38 AM  
__To: She who will not tell her brother  
__Subject: Why did I stay after work?_

_Ginny,_

_I stayed behind after work today because it was raining and I didn't want to get wet. Gavin also stayed behind. He kissed me and I sort of just froze up at first but then I started kissing him back! Once I realized what I was doing, I stopped, made an excuse, and left. And now I'm sitting in my room, still in my work uniform, and crying because Gavin's not Ron, yet I want to be with him. What am I going to do?_

_Hermione_

**·**

_From: A sister who's tired of hearing about her brother's love life  
__Sent: August 25th, 9:45 AM  
__To: Noelle, be glad your brother hasn't hit puberty yet  
__Subject: My life would be easier if Ron were a girl_

_Noelle,_

_Lavender's flirting with Ron. Ron's flirting with Lavender. Ron still cares about Hermione. Hermione still cares about Ron. But Hermione kissed another guy. Why is my brother's love life more interesting than mine?_

_She who has nothing better to do than to worry over her brother's situation_

**·**

_From: I'd rather have your brother than mine  
__Sent: August 25th, 10:03 AM  
__To: The other redheaded girl  
__Subject: My brother still wets his bed_

_Gin,_

_Why are you e-mailing me when we can meet up and discuss Hermione's situation over ice cream?_

_Noelle_

**·**

_From: I have no left shoe  
__Sent: August 25th, 5:45 PM  
__To: The pour soul stuck living with Draco  
__Subject: I can't find my damn shoe_

_Harry,_

_Do you by any chance happen to know where my left shoe is? The nice pair that I have? I'm going bowling with Lavender and Dean tonight and I want to look good._

_Ron_

**·**

_From: Harry  
__Sent: August 25th, 6:30 PM  
__To: He who has no left shoe  
__Subject: You think YOU got it bad?_

_Ron, _

_Draco shaved his head. Draco broke my glasses. It took me two hours to find where I had put my contacts. There's a blonde bitch who won't leave me alone--and I don't mean Draco._

_Harry_

_P.S. Did you look in the twin's room?_

_P.P.S. You'll have to change shoes for bowling anyway and why the hell do you want to look good for Dean?_

**·**

_From: I love my left shoe  
__Sent: August 25th, 6:55 PM  
__To: You do have it bad, man  
__Subject: I found my shoe_

_Harry,_

_Draco did what now? Don't you usually wear contacts anyway? Who's the girl? Thanks for the advice; it was in the twin's room. I want to look good for Lavender, not Dean, you dolt!_

_Ron_

**·**

_From: She's still here  
__Sent: August 25th, 9:39 PM  
__To: He who obviously wants to be left alone with his left shoe  
__Subject: Lavender?_

_Ron,_

_Lavender?_

_Harry_

**·**

_From: Two hot redheads (not the twins)  
__Sent: August 25th, 10:27 PM  
__To: She who has a boy pining after her  
__Subject: You go, girl!_

_Mione,_

_After much deliberation, Noelle and I have concluded that you should give this boy a chance. You're obviously somewhat attracted to him if you kissed him back and my brother is currently thousands of miles away from you. He's bowling at the moment._

_As for us, we're single and loving it. Here's to chick flicks and ice cream!_

_Love,  
__Ginny and Noelle_

_P.S. Did you get that e-mail from Harry saying that Draco shaved his head! Noelle's in hysterics at the moment._

**·**

_From: Uninformed of Draco's whereabouts  
__Sent: August 26th, 7:00 AM  
__To: Gin  
__Subject: Huh?_

_Gin,_

_Draco did what now?_

_Love,  
__Mione_

**·**

_From: Hermione  
__Sent: August 26th, 8:27 AM  
__To: Ron  
__Subject: I didn't expect this to happen_

_Ron, _

_Don't be angry, but--_

_I met a guy._

_Love,  
__Hermione_

**···**

**End Author's Note:** FINALLY! This took way too long for me to get out. I'm just hoping that the chapters will become easier to write once they're all in school. As usual, I have not proofread this because I just want to get it up for you guys as soon as I possibly can. Also, when I started writing HH, I for some reason pictured Harry without glasses for the most part. Let's face it, most people who have poor eyesight have both contacts and glasses. Sirius got Harry contacts right before Harry started high school and Harry's one of those people who normally wore contacts but would wear his glasses occasionally because he'd be too lazy to put his contacts in. I don't know why I decided to share that with you guys. I need to go to bed. G'night!


	4. Return to Hogwarts High

**Hogwarts High II  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note: **-sings- Why, oh why, is this fic so hard to write? Anywho, this is the part where I talk about my numerous excuses as to why there's so much time between updates. -clears throat- Right after I updated Chapter Three, I started on Chapter Four, got two and a half pages in and got writer's block. End of story. I'm actually not certain if the writer's block is cured, but I'm intent upon finishing this chapter tonight even if it kills me. As always, your patience with me is greatly appreciated! -hands everyone homemade cookies to munch on whilst you read-

**Disclaimer: **I STILL don't own Harry Potter…'Times Like These' by the Foo Fighters…The Foo Fighters themselves…

Chapter Four  
_Return to Hogwarts High_

_µ I am a streetlight shining, I am a wild light blinding bright, Burning off alone µ_

**···Ginny···**

"Oh, Ron! We have to pick up Noelle!"

"What? Doesn't she have her own car?"

"Well, yeah, but I told her that she could ride with us."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I forgot."

"What street does she live on?"

"You just passed it."

"Dammit, Ginny!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and grabbed a hold of the dashboard as Ron quickly performed and illegal U turn at a speed that nearly caused Old Betsy to tip over. He muttered obscenities under his breath and yelled at a squirrel to get out of his way before making a sharp left onto Noelle's street and curtly asking me which house she lived in.

"The sixth on the left," I replied quietly, wondering if I made a mistake inviting Noelle to ride with us. It was only yesterday that Ron had read Hermione's e-mail about her finding a guy that she liked and he has been acting like a rampaging gorilla ever since.

The tires made a horrible screeching noise as Ron pulled into Noelle's driveway. Noelle, who was sitting on her front porch, waiting for us, raised her eyebrows as if contemplating whether or not she really wanted to ride in a car that Ron was driving. Her dubious look was quickly replaced with a friendly smile as she slung her schoolbag onto her shoulder and skipped down the drive, giving us a slight wave before entering Old Betsy's back seat.

"Hi, Ginny!" she said brightly, closing the door.

"Hi!" I greeted back, twisting my neck slightly so that I could give her a smile.

"Hi, Ron!" she said, addressing my brother.

"Umph," Ron grunted in reply, putting the car in reverse and tearing out of the driveway. Noelle sent me a look that seemed to ask, 'What the hell is his problem?' I mouthed 'Hermione' to her and her mouth formed an understanding O. Ron continued to speed down the streets of Hogwarts Hills and it wasn't long until we reached the downtown area and the early morning traffic. Ron shouted out the F word at the top of his lungs, simultaneously hitting the steering wheel.

"Relax, Ron, would you?" I asked exasperatedly. "We've got plenty of time to get to school!"

"We're going to miss breakfast and it's biscuits and gravy day!" Ron shouted back.

"Oh, like you're not going to bring a pop tart to your first class anyway!"

Ron's angered looked shifted slightly to a more pensive one as he let up on the brake and allowed Old Betsy to creep forward a little in the traffic.

"I forgot about those," he stated in a normal-toned voice, reaching back behind him to open his school bag and take out a box of pop tarts. He opened the box like the pro that he was and took out one of the shiny pop tart bags, placing the bag between his teeth as he twisted around once more to return the box. It was then he seemed to remember that Noelle was in the backseat and in a moment of kindness (probably brought on by the promise of pop tarts), he held the box out to her, making a "Won won?" sound as he asked her if she wanted one. Noelle hesitantly reached out a hand took a hold of one of the bags; her face clearly showing that she was worried that Ron would go off on her if she refused his gift of pop tarts.

Ron replaced the pop tarts and turned back around, letting off the brake once more as the traffic eased up. Minutes later, we were just outside of town, following the line of student cars and yellow school buses making their way to the gleaming Hogwarts High.

Ron managed to get one of the better parking spaces in the student parking lot and the three of us opted to stay in the car and finish our pop tarts (Noelle had offered one of her pop tarts to me). I tried asking Noelle and Ron what classes they were taking this year but Ron glared so fiercely that Noelle stopped after 'Honors English III first period' and we were silent for the remainder of breakfast lest we invoked Ron temper.

The school lot was nearly empty when we trudged up the sloping lawns of Hogwarts High and headed into the building. None of us were prepared for what awaited us just inside the front doors of our beloved high school.

**···Noelle···**

As per usual, the halls of Hogwarts High were crammed with students, all of which were talking, squealing and hugging one another after the long summer break. Ginny and I, wanting to keep some distance between ourselves and Ron, allowed Ron to enter the school first, opting to follow two feet behind him. With Ron a safe distance ahead of us, Ginny and I finally felt comfortable talking and we complemented each other on our outfits. It wasn't until we were down several corridors that we realized that something was different: while one typically needs to weave their way through the crowd of students in the hallway, Ginny and I had no problem walking in Ron's wake as he parted the sea of students.

For a moment, I wondered if the other kids could sense that Ron was in a mood not to be bothered with, but after a short observation, I realized that many of the upperclassmen were clapping Ron on his shoulder and welcoming him back, asking him if he had a good summer. The underclassmen, with the exception of the freshmen who seemed to be scared of everyone who looked like they knew where they were going, were giving Ron timid smiles, as if they wanted Ron to notice them. Upon further observation, I realized that Ginny was getting much of the same treatment.

"Bye you two," Ginny called when Ron and I reached our lockers (my locker was across from his). Ron and I both let our school bags drop from our shoulders and land on the floor at our feet as we did our locker combinations. My locker opened immediately and I began filling it with my notebooks and other supplies. Behind me, I heard Ron mutter yet another explicative as he began to pound his locker.

"Problems, Ron?" I asked, ignoring the fact that twenty or so faces were staring at us as Ron's locker finally gave way.

"My locker hates me," Ron mumbled back, bending down to pick up his school bag and hazardously throw his notebooks into his locker. He pulled out one notebook, a pencil and pen, and yet another pop tart before closing his locker and turning toward me.

The bell rang and I began making my way up the stairs to my first class. I was immensely surprise when Ron followed me into the classroom and sat down in a desk next to mine.

"You're taking Honors English III, Ron?" I asked, wincing slightly at the obvious shock that sounded in my voice.

"Yeah," Ron sighed next to me, slouching down in his chair and looking around the cramped room dubiously. I must have been staring at him with open-mouthed incredulity because he elaborated: "I signed up because Hermione was taking it," he told me. "I'm fully aware that Mr. Slughorn is an insane drill sergeant when it comes to studies and English. Even my brother, Percy, admits that the man belongs in an university, not a high school."

"Oh my God, I can't believe I signed up for this class! I must have been mental!"

Ron and I turned in our chairs to see Seamus shuffle into the room, one hand thrown dramatically over his eyes, the other holding his notebook and pen.

"Because you know you're good at writing and that you can handle this class," Parvati stated exasperatedly, coming through the door and pushing Seamus slightly so that he would move on. "Stop being such a baby, Seamus, and sit down."

Seamus did as he was told, ignoring the baby comment and sitting down in front of Ron. Parvati settled across from Seamus and in front of me. She gave me a slight smile which widened incredibly for Ron.

"Lavender can't wait until Chemistry," she announced, looking directly at Ron.

"Why?" Ron asked, bringing his hands behind his head casually and cocking an eyebrow at Parvati. "She got a thing for test tubes and Bunsen burners?"

"No," Parvati replied, kicking Ron across the aisle. "It's the only class she has with you."

"How does she know my class schedule?" Ron asked, looking shocked. "I don't even know my class schedule." And with that he bent over and pulled his schedule out of his bag.

"Never underestimate the power of a woman," Parvati declared with an air of superiority. Seamus snorted.

"Seriously, how did she figure out his schedule?" he asked, jerking his head toward Parvati.

"Everyone's class schedules are in those big, black binders in the office," Parvati explained.

"You have a stalker, Ron," I told him, hoping he would get the hint that Lavender was after him like a starving lion after a plump gazelle.

"Why me?"

"Why Ronnie?"

Parvati rolled her eyes at the boys. "That should be obvious. I mean, you have noticed that people are treating you differently this year, right?"

Ron stared blankly at her. Parvati seemed to be getting frustrated.

"Fred and George were pretty damn popular, right?" she asked, leaning closer to avoid being overheard by the other nameless kids in the classroom.

"Yeah," Ron and Seamus answered right away.

"And Draco was the school heartthrob. And Harry had this mysterious air about him and lived with an ex-convict. And Hermione was the perfect student."

"Uh huh," the boys replied once again.

"And. They. Are. _All. _Gone. This. Year." Parvati enunciated each word.

"Okay." The boys weren't getting it.

Parvati gave an exasperated sigh and tipped her chair slightly so that her face was very, very close to Ron's. "You're Fred and George's brother. Harry's best friend. Hermione's ex-boyfriend. Draco's…best friend's best friend. They're gone so the school has transferred all of their popularity onto you." Parvati finished, letting her chair fall back down with a thump.

All the color drained from Ron's face as he stared at her with his mouth open. It was at that moment that the late bell rang and our teacher, a stoutly man with a large, silver mustache, entered the room pompously. Mr. Slughorn had taught at Hogwarts Hills for nearly fifty years and was infamous for his strictness and the level of difficulty he placed in his classes.

He walked to the front of the class and wrote his name upon the whiteboard before turning around and smiling at us: his victims for the next nine months.

"Good morning," he stated brightly, knowing that none of us thought that the mornings would ever be good again. He went on with his typical back-to-school lecture, waving a hand to a board on which he had written the week's schedule. The entire class groaned as one when we saw that our first spelling/vocab test would be on Wednesday.

"Now, now," Slughorn scolded as he handed out our text books. "You're juniors. I must prepare you for college. Pop tart away, Mr. Weasley. There will be no eating in my class."

Ron stared at him in disbelief, his third pop tart of the morning halfway to his mouth. Ron and Slughorn had a staring contest for what seemed like five minutes before Slughorn finally won and Ron placed his pop tart back into his bag.

"You're Percy Weasley's younger brother, are you not?" Slughorn asked, eyeing Ron with scrutiny.

Ron looked as if he were going to be sick, but nodded anyway.

"Good man, Percy. It was I who wrote his letter of recommendation. Fred and George were also good students."

"Fred and George took this class!" Ron asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Slughorn chuckled.

"You bet they did! I think they were hoping to break me, but I broke them."

"No way," Ron replied disbelievingly, his eyes wide.

Slughorn chuckled once more and went over to a row of file cabinets muttering, "Let's see, two years ago," under his breath as he flipped through the files. After a moment, he pulled out two files and extracted papers from both, holding them in front of Ron.

One paper was titled, 'Heroes in Breast Mail and Camouflage: A Comparison Between Beowulf and the Modern Day Military Man.' The other paper was titled, 'Triple Trouble: The Witches Behind Macbeth's Vaulting Ambition.' The first paper was written by Fred, the second by George. Both papers were in perfect formatting and contained no passive voice. Large, red A's were scribbled on the front of both papers.

The class gasped audibly; Ron even fell out of his seat, swearing loudly.

"There will be no swearing in my class, Mr. Weasley. You may go to in-school suspension."

"But!" Ron protested, standing up and waving at the papers in Slughorns' hands with incredulity.

"Off you go," Slughorn replied, waving Ron away.

Ron glared for a moment before picking up his things and making his way out of the room. Several students patted his arms comfortingly as he left.

**···Harry···**

Larry and Susan had enrolled Draco and I into a prestigious prep school, but they had neglected to take us in to see our councilor to be placed for classes; therefore, Draco and I found ourselves sitting in our councilor's office on our first day of school as she, a middle aged woman who looked like her skin had been pulled too tightly across her face, asked us a range of questions.

"How many languages other than English are you fluent in?"

"Er…I took Spanish I at my old school."

"I like to think that I have my own language called Draconish that is exclusive only to me."

"Do you listen to classical music while you study?"

"I popped my Godfather's old Rolling Stones CD in once while I was studying."

"I listen to that soundtrack from the movie where this British boy realizes he's a wizard and goes off to that magical boarding school. I can never remember the name of that movie though."

"Did you practice Geometric proofs over the summer?"

"Um…no."

"What the heck is a proof? Did I take Geometry?"

"Yes, you did, Draco. You always asked me if lines were congruent."

"Oh."

"How often do you read _The Wall Street Journal_?"

"Erm…am I supposed to?"

"I don't like reading journals. I feel as though I'm budding into someone's privacy."

Our counselor glared at us over her spectacles as if she couldn't believe that people so common as us had gotten into her school. "Do you young gentlemen have any plans for your impending future?" she asked us disconcertedly.

"Er…"

"I want to be utterly handsome and admired by all. And I would like to eat at every pancake house across America."

The counselor stared at us for a moment, a green tinge appearing on her face as she watched the school's academic average go down.

"I honestly feel as though both of you would benefit more from the local public high school," she started, pushing a key on her keyboard that sent her printer into motion, printing our class schedules, "but I'm forced to accept you. I will warn you that if you can't keep up with the curriculum or if you give our school any problems, you will be expelled."

Draco and I were silent, but she looked at us as if she were expecting us to go, 'Oh no! Not expulsion!'

"Kay," Draco said at last, snatching his schedule out of her hand and grabbing his school bag.

"I'll be watching you two very closely. And for God's sake, Mr. Potter, tuck in your shirt!" she called after us as we walked out of her office, examining our schedules which were completely identical…as if my life could get any worse.

"What the hell is Right and Proper class?" I asked Draco, who shrugged.

**···Remus···**

"I feel as though I should be getting a job," I announced, sitting on the sunny porch late one morning.

"Ew," Narcissa mentioned next to me.

"That defeats the whole purpose of hiding, Remus," Sirius added.

And that ended that discussion.

"I wonder how Tonks is doing," I continued. Sirius and Narcissa immediately straightened with interest.

"Thinking of my beautiful niece?" Narcissa asked.

"Don't read into it," I warned.

"Too late," the both replied simultaneously.

**···Tonks···**

To my utmost surprise, Ron was the first student into my classroom for his fourth hour history class. I had expected the classroom to be empty for another five minutes and was completely shocked to see a student arrive so early, much less the one student I needed to bond with.

Ron stared at me, his arms at his sides, his right arm loosely holding his books, and his brow knitted as he tried to place me.

"Hey, Ron!" I greeted brightly, waving a hand over my head and propping my feet up upon my desk.

"Tonks?" Ron asked slowly, afraid that he might have it wrong.

I smiled and nodded, watching with amusement as his entire demeanor changed to one that was more relaxed.

"Wow, I haven't seen you in years!" he stated, picking a desk that was front and center in the classroom and sitting down, gazing avidly at me. "How have you been?"

I groaned without meaning to. "The past couple of years have been rough, but my life's starting to look up," I shared, thinking of both my new job at Hogwarts High and the reentrance of Remus Lupin into my life. "But enough about me, what about you?" I asked, getting up from my desk and going to Ron's, taking his arm and making him stand so I could look him over. "You've grown so much!"

Ron was about a half a foot taller than me. His voice, which had been squeaky the last time I spoke with him, was now deep, his smile more confident. His hair was longish and he was beginning to display the broad shoulders and lovely Weasley arms that his brothers were known for.

"It's the first day of school and I've already been in in-school suspension," he stated, almost proudly.

"Really?" I asked, intrigued. "What did you do?"

"I swore in Slughorn's class."

I laughed. "Slughorn sent me to in-school for that many a time," I told him.

"You had him too?" Ron asked, sitting back down at his desk and smiling up at me.

"Yeah, my mom made me take his class."

"Well, I had a good reason to swear," Ron continued. "I found out that Fred and George took that class and that they aced it!"

"Fucking hell."

"That's what I said!"

The sound of approaching students reached our ears.

"Hey, Tonks," Ron said, getting up from his desk once more and following me to mine as a handful of students entered the classroom. "I know that students and teachers have to keep their relationship at a distance, but you're technically family and I distinctly remember sitting at the kiddie table with you one Thanksgiving a long time ago, and…well…I'm sure Mom would love to have you over for dinner some time."

I couldn't believe my luck. I expected Ron to be aloof and avoid me like most students avoid their teachers. I thought my job of getting info about Harry and Draco out of him would be immensely difficult, yet here he was, inviting me over to dinner! I tried to act cool about it.

"I'd love to see the family again," I replied, smiling as the late bell rang. "I'll give Molly a call sometime. Now," I adopted a more professional tone, "back to your seat, Mr. Weasley."

Ron smiled. "Yes, Ms. Tonks," he replied, causing me to wince at the formality.

"Let's just drop the titles," I told him. He laughed and went back to his desk.

**···Ron···**

"Won-won."

"Isn't that new history teacher amazing?"

"Tonks? Oh yeah, she's like distantly related to me."

"Really?"

"Won-won."

"Yeah."

"So is she your second cousin or…?"

"More like tenth, once removed, but my mom used to baby sit her mom, so we're kinda close."

"Won-won!" Lavender jabbed me sharply in my ribs.

"What?" I turned toward her, rubbing my side.

"I was calling you!"

"My name's not 'Won-won'."

"But it's cute! Just like you!" Lavender brought a hand to run through my hair. I couldn't help but blush at that. "Anywho," Lavender continued, ignoring the odd look that Noelle and Neville were giving us from across the lab table, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the school bon-fire BBQ with me this weekend?"

"Really?" I asked, my interest perking. If Hermione could move on so quickly, then so could I.

"Yeah."

"Like a date?"

She smiled. "I was hoping it would be."

I was silent for a moment. I really didn't know Lavender very well. And I also didn't want to be on Seamus' bad side. But Lavender was pretty, and I am a guy.

"Okay," I said at last. "But we're not, like, a couple yet," I added, just incase the night sucked. I didn't think Lavender heard me. She 'eeped' and hugged me right there in seventh hour Chemistry.

**···Hermione···**

I awoke to find myself on a couch in the nurse's office. "What on Earth?" I asked, bringing a hand to my head and sitting up slowly. I was in my new school uniform and to my horror, saw that it was 4 in the afternoon.

"Awake?" the nurse asked me from her desk.

"What happened?" I asked, turning to face her, my mind foggy.

"You were so excited about classes starting that you short-circuited and fainted. You were unconscious the whole day. I was about to call your parents to ask if you had a condition."

"I MISSED MY CLASSES!"

"Take it easy, a friend of yours dropped off your homework."

"A friend?"

"He said his name was Gavin. He also said to meet him in the student lounge if you want some help getting caught up."

I nodded, my mouth dry as I took the mountain of books that the nurse handed to me and made my way down to the student lounge. At first I didn't see him, then I recognized his messy brown hair amongst a sea of fellow female students. I fought my way through the crowd and set my books down on the table that Gavin was sitting at.

"You didn't tell me that you went to this school," I scolded him.

"You didn't tell me that you were a fainter," he replied, looking amused as several of the girls left us.

"I'm not, normally," I replied, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear distractedly. "But thank you for offering to get me caught up," I continued, sitting down.

"Yeah, about that," Gavin replied, seeming suddenly uncomfortable. "I made other plans."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I said, forcing myself to smile.

"Thanks, I won't," Gavin replied, following the nearest girl out of the lounge.

Feeling as though my day couldn't get any worse, I opened one of my text books and attempted to read but found it very hard to focus on the words.

"He's a prick."

"Excuse me?" I asked, looking up to find a tall, older boy with longish hair, who was holding a pool stick and staring down at me.

"Gavin," he replied, nodding toward the door. "He's in the same house as I am."

"Oh," I replied, feeling slightly embarrassed that this guy had witness me being ditched. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

He offered a shy smile. "That's because I didn't give it. It's Victor, by the way. Victor Krum."

"Hermione Granger," I replied offering my hand. A bell went off in my head as he shook my hand. "Wait a minute!" I exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "I know you! My ex-boyfriend used to talk about you all the time! You're that young soccer star, aren't you?"

Victor blushed somewhat and sat down across from me. "Yeah, which is why I'm nineteen and still in high school."

I really didn't know what to say to that so I just shrugged.

"So what are you working on?" Victor asked, gazing at my open text book. "Chemistry? I loved that class. Need any help with it?"

I smiled.

"Well…if you wouldn't mind."

**···**

_From: I was unconscious during my first day of boarding school  
__Sent: September 1st, 10:00 PM  
__To: Gin  
__Topic: Yet Another Guy_

_Ginny,_

_Well, I moved into my boarding school (which is a few miles outside of the town that my parents and I live in). It's a really nice place. So nice, in fact, that I apparently couldn't take it and fainted upon walking into my first classroom and being handed my own personal laptop. I was unconscious until four in the afternoon! I went to the student lounge and found out that: A) Gavin goes to the same school as me, and B) he's embarrassed to be seen with me. But on the plus side, I met a new guy. His name is Victor Krum--yeah, the one in Ron's soccer poster! He helped me with my chemistry._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

**·**

_From: My day was uneventful and fill with 'don't run in the halls' speeches  
__Sent: September 1st, 10: 03 PM  
__To: She who did chemistry work with my brother's idol  
__Topic: …_

_Herm,_

_O.O_

_Love,_

_Gin_

**·**

_From: God, I look good!  
__Sent: September 1st, 10:20 PM  
__To: Jaclyn  
__Topic: Help_

_Jaclyn_

_Potter and I are having some difficulty with our Right and Proper class. Did you know that a class that teaches one manners existed? I didn't. Anywho, we can't tell our forks apart. And why can't I tie my napkin around my neck like a bib?_

_Pretty Draco_

**·**

_From: Draco's everywhere  
__Sent: September 1st, 10:23 PM  
__To: The Feisty One  
__Topic: I can't get rid of Draco no matter what I do_

_Gin,_

_As if living in the same house with Draco wasn't bad enough, I now have every single class with him at our God forsaken school! I think I'm losing my sanity._

_How are you? And what's this about Ron wanting to impress Lavender? _

_Harry_

**·**

_From: I should be in movies  
__Sent: September 1st, 10: 40 PM  
__To: The guy across the hall  
__Topic: Missing Remote_

_Potter,_

_Do you happen to know where my remote is?_

_Draco_

**·**

_From: I'm right across the hall!  
__Sent: September 1st, 10:42 PM  
__To: The lazy ass who can't walk across the hall  
__Topic: Re: Missing Remote_

_Draco,_

_No._

_Harry_

**·**

_From: I'm Feisty, eh?  
__Sent: September 1st, 10:50 PM  
__To: Hot Potter  
__Topic: Ron and Hermione's love lives…yes…plural_

_Harry,_

_Well, we all knew that Ron and Hermione were broken up, but none of us really thought that they'd move on. Well they did. My brother is suddenly popular at school and Lavender has been flirting relentlessly with him all summer. He avoided her at first, not wanting to piss Seamus off and not wanting to move on from Hermione, but Hermione got a crush on some Gavin guy who apparently turned out to be a prick and now she's talking about the soccer player, Victor Krum, who apparently goes to her boarding school. Ron found out about Gavin which of course pissed him right off, and he is a guy and Lavender does wear short skirts so he agreed to go to the school's bon-fire BBQ with her._

_Feisty Ginny_

**·**

_From: I'm hot, eh?  
__Sent: September 1st, 10:55 PM  
__To: You don't look too bad yourself, Ginny  
__Topic!_

_Gin,_

_Do you think Hermione would get me Victor's autograph if I asked her?_

_Harry_

**···**

**End Author's Note: **I realized that I can only write Hogwarts High chapters in one sitting (I started this at 6 PM and it is now close to 1 AM). If I stop during a chapter, I get writer's block. That's why this fic is so hard to write. As an extra bonus, I'm going to add a list of random facts about the HH gang.

- Ron played basketball in junior high and his freshmen year of high school. Fred and George also played basketball Ron's freshman year (they once again had a head cold and joined without realizing it). All three boys hated the 5 AM practices so much that they swore that they would never join again. And they didn't.

- Harry also played basketball in junior high but refused to join in high school because he remembered how Fred and George used to complain about it. Not to mention, basketball just isn't his sport.

- The Weasley family only has one cordless phone in the house. Fred once dropped the cordless phone in the toilet and they were without a phone for a week before Mrs. Weasley finally bought a new one.

- Draco tried to eat glue in Kindergarten.

- Hermione and Draco were the only ones who took swimming lessons over the summer when they were young. Harry wasn't allowed and Ron and Ginny's swimming lessons consisted of Bill and Charlie throwing them into the ocean and telling them to swim or drown.

- Dumbledore has a PhD in child psychology.

…

And that's it because it's late and I have to get up early. I BET YOU GUYS WEREN'T EXPECTING KRUM! -laughs evilly- I need to go to bed.


	5. The Boring Yet Necessary Chapter

**Hogwarts High  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note: **Someone pointed out that our beloved Mr. Krum spells his name with a k instead of a c. My bad. But then I got to thinking, most American Victors spell their names with the c, so it's okay, right?

**Disclaimer: **I own the GoF DVD! But I do not own the HP universe…The Libertinesor their lyrics…Bill Clinton…

Chapter Five  
_The Boring Yet Necessary Chapter_

_µ Have we enough to keep it together…Or do we just keep on pretending µ_

**···Harry···**

"Potter! Yoo-hoo, Potter! Wake up, damn you!"

I opened one eye lazily to see Draco standing over my bed, clad in the light blue dress shirt of our school uniform and a pair of boxers.

"You can't borrow my pants," I told him groggily before rolling over.

"What the hell? I don't want to borrow your pants!"

I rolled back over and propped myself up on my elbows, glaring at Draco angrily. "Then what do you want?" I asked him.

"I wanted to warn you against eating stroganoff as a midnight snack, and to remind you to pack some extra clothes in your school bag." Draco turned and made to leave.

"Wait! What?" I asked, feeling confused. Giving up on sleep completely, I threw my blanket aside and sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

Draco turned back around and launched into an explanation as I rummaged my floor for a clean uniform.

"You see, I was hungry last night, so I thought I'd heat up some of that leftover stroganoff. So I did. And I ate it. And it was yummy. Then I went to bed and had this really weird dream where killer robots were taking over the town and Bill Clinton was fighting them off with a broom, and he was all like, 'RUN, DRACO! SAVE YOURSELF!'" Draco threw his arms out dramatically. I looked at him oddly, but he ignored me and continued:

"So then I woke up and I felt kind of funny--probably from eating stroganoff so late--so I took a shower. It was in the shower that I had a stroke of utter brilliance!"

I looked up from smelling a pair of socks that I had just found on the floor. "Which was?" I asked.

"We should join the soccer team!"

"Ugh! Soccer?"

Draco and I both jumped and gave very unmanly squeals as Jaclyn entered my room. She was dressed in her uniform, and had a look of disgust on her face and a box of powered donuts in her arms.

"Our school's soccer team is so lame! Wouldn't you guys rather play football or something cool?" she asked as Draco and I quickly searched my floor for pants. I glared at Draco as he put a pair of my pants on, but I didn't say anything; all I wanted was to find a pair of pants and clothe myself.

"Wrestling and swimming are also respectable sports," Jaclyn continued, opening the box of powered donuts and helping herself to one as I pulled on a pair of pants and found a nearby shirt to put on as well.

"Harry and I are soccer players," Draco stated matter-of-factly.

Jaclyn sighed, rolled her eyes, and mentioned 'losers' under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Donut?" she asked brightly, holding out the box to us. Draco and I eyed her suspiciously, but helped ourselves to some donuts nonetheless.

"Just you wait, Jaclyn!" Draco threatened through a mouthful of powdered sugar. "Harry and I will turn our school's soccer team into champions!" This promise would have been much more impressive if Draco didn't have powdered sugar on his nose.

**···Tonks···**

I expected to be uncomfortable sitting with my former teachers in the teacher's lounge at my old high school. I thought that they might censor themselves around me, as if an imaginary brick wall stood between us; however, I was greatly mistaken.

On my first day of eating lunch in the teacher's lounge, McGonagall told Snape to 'scoot his tush' down so that I could sit. They then went into long complaints about their students, which helped me feel more at ease. Four days later, Fred (or George) Weasley entered the teacher's lounge, much to everyone's surprise. George (or Fred) went into a speech about the mating habits of weasels. For nearly five minutes, the twin delivered his speech while the other teachers and I stared at him completely perplexed, and Dumbledore nodded interestedly and exclaimed 'You don't say!' at intervals. After he finished his speech, whichever twin he was gave a bow, stole a plate of cookies that was sitting on a nearby table, and left.

"Didn't we graduate him?" Snape asked, his lip curling with annoyance.

"No, no. He quit, remember?" McGonagall corrected.

"Quit?" I asked, looking at the teachers around me in confusion.

McGonagall and Dumbledore quickly launched into a colorful story about how the twins had dramatically thrown their diplomas at Dumbledore's feet and 'quit' high school. While my coworkers told the story, my attention was drawn to the courtyard outside the window where Fred and George tackled Ron to the ground and started wrestling. A small smile crossed my face as I watched the brothers play. My smile was short-lived, however, as I was filled with an immense loneliness. My family, Remus, and friends were all over an hour's drive away, leaving the Weasley family as my only acquaintances.

I sighed miserably and resolved to call Molly that evening.

"MISS TONKS!"

"Yes? Sorry." Snape was glaring at me. He pointed to my tater tots.

"Are you going to eat those?"

I smiled and pushed my tray to him. "Knock yourself out, Snape."

**···Ginny···**

"Not finished with that yet, Ginny?" Parvati asked me at our normal lunch table under the oak tree in the courtyard. Parvati, Seamus, and Noelle were all happily eating their mozzarella dunkers while I was working on some Driver's Ed homework. I was stuck on question number 47: If a deer is 50 ft ahead of you and you're going 55 mph with a wind resistance of 20 mph, how long until you hit the deer?

Keeping my head down, I waved Parvati off and scribbled out my latest miscalculation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red headed male place his tray down and sit beside me. Thinking it was just Ron, I started my deer calculations over. Then another red headed male sat on the other side of me.

"What the…?" I asked, raising my head to find myself sandwiched between Fred and George. "What are you two doing here?"

George dunked one of his dunkers into his tomato sauce and mentioned something about being in the neighborhood.

I was going to press them further when a very grass-stained Ron sat down next to Fred.

"What are Fred and George doing here, Ron?" I asked him, pointing at our twin brothers.

"Making my life hell, apparently," Ron replied glumly, picking a blade of grass out of his hair. "I was on my way to get food when they tackled me, wrestled me, then forced me to buy them lunch. Now I don't have enough money for my own lunch!"

"Here, man, you can have my tater tots," Seamus offered, pushing his tray closer to Ron. Ron thanked him and started eating the tater tots as George grabbed my Driver's Ed homework and scribbled 'No one would do math in their head before hitting a deer' as my answer.

"Really, what are you two doing…"

"WON-WON!"

"…here?"

Lavender squeezed herself in between Fred and Ron. Fred eyed her curiously as she grabbed a hold of Ron's hand.

"What time are you picking me up tonight, Won-Won?" Lavender asked, resting her chin on Ron's shoulder.

"Um…" Ron stammered, blushing furiously as Fred and George waggled their eyebrows at him and Seamus glared at him.

"You're taking my ex-girlfriend to the beach bonfire tonight?" Seamus asked.

"Yeah," Ron replied, wincing as if he expected Seamus to punch him. Seamus didn't punch Ron, but he did take his tater tots back. Lavender gave her ex-boyfriend a vindictive look.

"Pick me up at eight, Won-Won," she stated before getting up from the table and leaving in a huff.

"That's my cue to follow her," Parvati stated, rising from the table as well.

"So you're Won-Won now?" Fred asked Ron.

"Shut up."

"Tell me, Won-Won, when did you and Lav-Lav become an item?"

"I said shut up, Fred!"

"Does Mom know?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE ANYWAY?"

Fred smirked at Ron.

"Business, bro." And before Ron could ask what business, Fred taped a flyer to Ron's forehead.

"What the…?" Ron pulled the flyer off of his forehead and read it aloud to the table.

"Weasels: The Store Slash Café Slash Hang-out Type Place Thinger." Ron raised a questioning eyebrow at the twins before continuing. "Grand opening on September 26th at 6 PM. Free food and drink. Half off of all merchandise. Live music by The Weird Sisters."

"Wow," Seamus stated, impressed.

"Do us a favor, Won-Won, and pass these out," George ordered, placing a pile of flyers on the table.

"Don't call me Won-Won!"

The twins ignored Ron and rose from the table.

"We've got legal papers to sign. We'll see you guys later."

After the twins had disappeared, Noelle reached for one of the flyers and read it. "Do you think this place will do well?" she asked us curiously.

"Who cares?" Ron stated. "Just as long as Fred and George give me a job there. Seamus, can I have your tater tots?"

"NO!"

**···Hermione···**

Victor was in the student lounge, playing pinball by himself. It was Friday afternoon and my parents were due to pick me up in twenty minutes to take me home for the weekend and I wanted to say goodbye to Victor before I left. His eyes left the pinball machine and found mine. He smiled and offered a slight wave as I made my way over to him.

"Going home for the weekend?" he asked casually, returning his attention back to his pinball game.

"Yeah," I replied. "You?"

He shook his head. "Staying here. We've got a lot of soccer practices this weekend. Our first game is Saturday night." He suddenly turned to face me. "Will you come watch? It's a home game."

I had actually planned to read a fascinating book about some unknown moss growing on a rock in South America Saturday night, but Victor was looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes; I couldn't say no.

"Of course I'll come, Victor," I stated, smiling and placing a hand on his arm.

He graced me with an adorable smile and I felt a strange lurch in my stomach.

**···Draco···**

Potter and I were immediately and enthusiastically accepted into the soccer team. Our coaches, Bert and Ernie (yes, that's their real names), have a genuine love of the sport; the problem that the team always had was that the players didn't take the game seriously. Seeing as no one actually expected them to win any games, they saw it as just some after school activity to put on their future college applications.

Potter and I, fantastic soccer players that we are, change all that. When our teammates saw how good we were, their competitive 'I'm better than you are' personalities kicked in and they started to attempt to play. This new fervor in the team pleased our coaches so much that they gave Potter and I Popsicles after practice.

We were eating these Popsicles and walking to our car when Jaclyn caught up with us.

"Okay," she stated grumpily, clutching her books to her chest. "You guys are good; but I still think you should pick a more socially acceptable sport."

"Why do you care what sport we play?" Potter asked, glaring over his shoulder at the blonde girl following us.

"Because I hang out with you guys and what sport you guys play determines how our classmates perceive me!"

Potter and I exchanged looks, rolled our eyes and got into our car.

"I don't believe it," I said irritably as we drove out of the school's parking lot, leaving Jaclyn in a cloud of dust. "We've found the female version of me!"

**···Ron···**

I rang the doorbell to Lavender's house and was greeted by her father. The man in question was wearing a shirt that said, _I have a gun, a shovel, and several acres of land_. I wondered how Seamus had the courage to date this girl for over a year.

"WON-WON!" Lavender, clad in a bikini top and shorts, pushed her father aside and hugged me.

"Hey, Lav," I squeaked. Lavender took a step back; she was smiling widely at me. I attempted to use my voice once again. "You, uh, do know that we're not actually allowed to swim tonight?" I asked her, eyeing her top nervously.

"I know," Lavender said brightly, linking her arm with mine and waving her father off as we walked over to Old Betsy. "But it just wouldn't be the same to be on the beach without a swimsuit. Besides," she stopped and wrapped her arms around my waist, "don't you like it?" I gazed over her head to see her father glaring at me as if he was contemplating castration; and despite what I had told Bill several months earlier, I rather liked my boys.

"I've made a huge mistake."

"What?" Lavender suddenly broke apart from me, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Listen, Lav…" I started as solemnly as I could. Her father smiled in a proud manner and went inside the house.

"Are you breaking up with me!" Lavender screeched. She seemed to be on the verge of either spontaneous combustion or tears.

"I didn't really realize we were going out!"

Lavender's face contorted horribly.

"You…you were leading me on?" She definitely seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"I…was…I didn't say that!"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head in disbelief. Giving me a glance of betrayal, she turned on her heels and ran back into her house, leaving me to feel like shit on her driveway.

**···Ginny···**

Ron was being a big baby.

He had arrived at the beach BBQ bonfire Lavender-less; their virtually nonexistent relationship cut short due to Ron being intimidated by Lavender's father. Single and depressed once again, Ron threw himself down upon the sand and laid their, sulking, as our classmates stepped, sashayed, and staggered over him.

I was about to go over and yell at him for bringing the entire party down when I noticed Noelle approaching him. She observed him for a minute; then, with a bravery I didn't know she possessed, sat on his stomach. Ron's arms, legs, and head shot up into the air and his eyes bulged as he emitted an 'oomph!' at the unexpected exertion.

After the shock wore off, the two started talking. Ron continued to look grumpy, but Noelle had a look of intense dedication on her face. After a few minutes, Noelle stood and held out her hand to Ron. Ron, surprisingly accepted, and Noelle helped him up and led him over to the fire where Dumbledore was leading a group of kids in our school dance.

**···**

_From: Your other best friend_

_Sent: September 6th, 8:01 AM  
To: He who lives with Draco_

_Subject: Krum_

_Harry,_

_I had Victor sign a napkin for you. I mailed it this morning. Cherish it._

_Love,  
Hermione _

P.S. Have you heard from Ron lately?

**·**

_From: Draco sings in the shower…badly_

_Sent: September 8th, 4:15 PM  
To: You're a doll, Mione  
Subject: It came! _

I now have Victor Krum's autograph! Yes! Anywho, we all know how lazy Ron is. I bet his inbox has over 100 unread messages. Why do you ask?

Harry

**·**

_From: Chemistry is so interesting  
Sent: September 8th, 6:42 PM  
To: How do you like your chem class?  
Subject: Ron _

Harry

I admitted to Ron that I liked another boy (oddly enough, I no longer like him, he's a cocky little bastard…yes, I swore), and he hasn't e-mailed me back since.

Hermione

**·**

_From: My shampoo was lighter  
Sent: September 8th, 7:30 PM  
To: You there, with the particularly shiny hair  
Subject: My shampoo _

Potter,

_Did you use my shampoo? _

Draco

**·**

_From: Draco's accusing me of using his shampoo  
Sent: September 8th, 7:43 PM  
To: She who loves the evil chem class  
Subject: Ron _

From what I hear, he's running around with Lavender these days. Not entirely certain how that happened, but hey, she has a nice rack so good for him.

Harry

**·**

_From: Shocked  
Sent: September 8th, 8:25 PM  
To: Harry  
Subject: Ron _

LAVENDER BROWN?

**·**

_From: Like I would want to smell like you  
Sent: September 8th, 8:35 PM  
To: You across the hall  
Subject: Your shampoo _

Malfoy,

_No. _

_Harry_

**·**

_From: He who is tired of Draco  
Sent: September 8th, 8:37 PM  
To: My other friend  
Subject: Ron _

Yes.

Harry

**···**

**End Author's Note. **I don't really like this chapter, but it's necessary. Thank you all once again for your patience. There's going to be a surprise (more than one, probably) in the next chapter.


	6. Cool Watermelon Bubblegum

**Hogwarts High II  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note: **Here I am, starting this chapter over yet again. Go me.

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own the HP universe…

Chapter Six  
_Cool Watermelon Bubblegum_

Lyrics go here

●●● **Hermione **●●●

I stormed out of the classroom, tears of anger and embarrassment filling my eyes and blurring my vision as I rushed down the hall. I was so distraught that I did not register that the hall was filled with innumerable, unknown students until I ran into one of them.

"Fuck, bitch! Watch where you're going! You nearly scuffed my loafers!"

"Sorry," I mumbled, sidestepping whoever it was that I had run into with the intent of continuing my trek to the girl's bathroom; however, I was prohibited by an arm shooting out in front of me. Sighing with exasperation, I turned back toward the male I had run into. "Listen, I said that I was sor…"

"Granger?"

I stopped mid-word and blinked. I knew that voice! I brought my hands to wipe the tears from my eyes; once my vision was cleared, I saw — though I hardly believed it — Draco Malfoy standing in front of me. His once pallid complexion was now tanned slightly, and short, spiked black locks replaced the long, bleached hair he previously sported.

"Draco?" I asked, squinting my eyes and cocking my head to the side. What on Earth was Draco Malfoy doing in my school?

Draco's scowl pulled into a slight smile as he took a step closer to me, appearing as though he was about to hug me.

"There you are, Malfoy! Why the hell aren't you changed? We're supposed to be on the field in fifteen minutes!"

Draco paused, his arms still outstretched in his interrupted hug, his scowl returning. I, on the other hand, turned quickly to my right and gasped. Harry, who had been approaching us, stopped short when he saw me.

"'Mione?" he asked, his eyes suddenly crinkling as a smile reached them.

"Harry?" I echoed, looking him up and down. Clad in a black and white soccer uniform, I couldn't help but notice that he had grown considerably in height over the summer. He rushed toward me and engulfed me in a hug, picking me up off my feet as he did so.

He spun me around and exclaimed how happy he was to see me before setting me back down and pulling away enough to look at me properly. His wide smile faded upon getting a closer look at my face.

"Hermione? What's wrong?"

I felt the prick of alarm in my neck as I realized that my eyes must have been red. I opened my mouth, wanting to assure him that nothing was the matter, but no words came out.

"She was crying," Draco unhelpfully added. "She was crying even before I yelled at her."

Harry sent Draco a piercing glare. "You yelled at her, you bastard?"

"I didn't know that the big ball of hair rushing toward me was her, okay? Had I known it was her and not some random girl with the intent of scuffing my loafers, I would have acted much differently!"

Harry gave Draco a rude hand gesture before redirecting his attention back to me.

"What happened?" he asked in a voice that sounded both demanding and gentle.

I forced a smile and waved him off. "Nothing. What are you two doing here?"

The boys exchanged worried glances.

"We're here for the soccer tournament tomorrow. Our school's participating."

"Soccer tournament?" I asked distractedly. "Oh. Right. Victor said something about a soccer tournament this weekend."

The three of us stood in silence for a few moments, Harry's arms still around my waist and Draco standing casually with his hands in his pockets; both boys had concerned expressions as they gazed at me.

"I can't believe you guys are here!" I exclaimed, pulling them both into a hug in the hope of distracting them from pressing the matter.

"Draco. Harry. I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you possibly break yourselves away from this lovely young lady and go to practice?"

The boys pulled themselves away from me and turned toward their coach, a stout, timid-looking man.

Harry turned back to me. "Is your cell phone number the same as it was last year?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah."

"Okay, we'll call you after practice then. The three of us could get together and hang out tonight!"

I smiled. "I'd like that."

●●● **Ron **●●●

A drop of clear liquid fell into the beaker and Noelle, Neville and I simultaneously turned our heads to glare at Lavender. The four of us were working on a chemistry experiment in the lab and were currently hovering over the beaker, hoping to see a change in color or something.

"If that tear ruins our experiment, you're writing up the lab reports for the next month," I told Lavender, who sniffled in response.

"You're so insensitive, Ron," she replied moodily, using my real name as opposed to that horrible nickname she concocted.

I sighed in frustration. Lavender had been a leaky faucet for the past two weeks.

"Why aren't you wearing safety goggles anyway?" I asked. Noelle and Neville both nodded in agreement with my question. Lavender looked scandalized.

"Me? Wear safety goggles? Do you know how dorky I would look in them?"

"Probably not much more dorky than the rest of us look in them," Noelle reasoned. She was busy adding another chemical to our concoction, and she gave a satisfied smile as the liquid in the beaker turned purple.

"Good job, Noelle!" I complimented, patting her shoulder with my left hand as I used my right to write down the change on the lab sheet.

"Ginny!" Noelle exclaimed in shock.

"No, I'm Ron," I replied, keeping my eyes on my paper, yet furrowing my brow in confusion. Surely Noelle could tell me apart from my sister! My hair wasn't that long!

"No, Ron. Ginny's here!" Noelle elaborated, bringing a hand under my chin and lifting my face. Sure enough, Ginny was standing at our lab table, her brown eyes wide with shock. She appeared to be out of breath.

"Ginny, what the…?"

"Come to the cafeteria. Now."

"Wha…?" But before I could articulate a sentence, Ginny grabbed my hand and led me out of the classroom. I vaguely registered Snape threatening us with detentions as we disappeared down a flight of stairs.

The cafeteria was filled with people. A DJ was on the far wall, playing music while Dumbledore danced the robot on the stage. Over Dumbledore hung a banner that had the words, "Weasels! Opening tonight!" painted on it.

"This is insane!" I stated in shock.

"I think it just got even more insane," Ginny replied, nodding toward the wall on our right. Following her gaze, I found Bill talking enthusiastically with Tonks, his left arm resting on the wall behind her, as if he were claiming his territory.

"Why is Bill here?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off of my brother and my teacher, despite Dumbledore initiating the electric slide on the stage.

"I don't know," Ginny replied.

"Why is he talking to Tonks?" I decided to not point out the proximity of their bodies.

"I think they went to high school together."

"You don't think they'll start dating, do you?"

"God, I hope not."

"Ron!"

I turned around and saw Lavender rushing toward me. I raised a questioning eyebrow as she approached.

"Snape says that you have five minutes to return to class before he confiscates your pop tarts and eats them."

"Gotta go, Gin."

●●● **Draco **●●●

Immediately after practice, Potter called Granger and had her direct us over the phone to her bedroom window (because we had been warned against entering the female houses, so we had to sneak in). A tree stood relatively close to her second story window, and with our superb stealth training from the year before, we were able to successfully sneak into her room.

"You guys could have showered before coming here, you know," Granger scolded playfully, eyeing our dirty soccer uniforms and holding her nose against our manly stench. Potter offered her a lopsided grin as a pathetic sort of apology.

"We wanted to see you, Hermione," he added.

Hermione smiled at us as she opened up her other window, as if she were afraid we'd make her room smell bad.

"Honestly, woman, if you're that concerned about the way we smell, we'll use your shower!" I exclaimed, taking off my shirt and walking into Hermione's adjoining bathroom (how much were her parents paying for her to have her own room _and _her own bathroom? Even I'm impressed!).

"Draco, don't strip in front of Hermione!" Potter yelled.

"I'm keeping my shorts on," I pointed out, throwing my dirty cleats and socks to a corner of her bathroom. "Joining me Potter?"

"Fuck no!"

"Not even if I did this?" I quickly strode over to Granger and picked her up, carrying her over my shoulder, Tarzan-style, into her overly large shower. She gave an uncharacteristic, high pitch squeak as I turned the water on. Potter rushed into the bathroom and stared into the shower, horrified.

His wide-eyed shock melted into a smile as Granger's shrieks turned into giggles and I felt confident enough to set her down.

"Excellent, I've always wanted my hair to smell like strawberries," I commented, reaching for the shampoo. Granger giggled some more and looked down at her now soaked sweatshirt and shorts. Potter was still standing outside of the shower, looking hesitant.

"Oh come on, Harry!" Granger chided. "You do smell."

Potter stuck his tongue out at her before taking off his cleats, socks and shirt. He looked around the room quickly – as if he expected to find an audience watching us – before he joined us in the shower, stealing the shampoo from me.

The next half an hour consisted of the three of us blowing soap bubbles, flicking soap suds at one another and each of us singing horribly in the shower.

●●● **Ginny **●●●

"Well, there goes the college idea," Mom stated with a sigh as our limo (courtesy of Fred and George) pulled up in front of Weasels. Dad's jaw dropped and Ron and I could only nod stupidly in response.

The two-story store known as Weasels was lit up with spotlights and had bouncers keeping the crowd back. It looked more like a popular night club than a store.

Someone opened the car door for us and we were greeted with applause and a few flashes from the newspaper photographer as we stepped out of the car and headed toward the building.

I found Noelle, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati standing in the crowd, and I told the nearby bouncer to let them through. They were all smiling, and even Ron and Lavender seemed to have forgotten the past couple of weeks and were treating one another very civilly as we entered the store, sucking in our breaths with amazement as we did so.

Weasels was everything that Fred and George had promised and more. The first floor consisted of a café equipped with plush armchairs and couches, a cluster of computers for kids to do research, homework, photoshop etc., a gaming area, a music area, and – located behind two heavy oak door – a small cinema where Fred and George intended to show greatly anticipated movies at midnight opening day.

True to the twin's word, The Weird Sisters were playing by the main staircase that led to the store area on the second floor. It was there that people could buy the many joke products that the twins had invented over the years.

"I always knew they were special," Dumbledore stated suddenly, appearing out of nowhere and causing me to jump. After I got over my initial shock, I realized that the bouncers were slowly letting the crowd in.

"I always thought they were special too," I told my principal. "Only I think my version of special was different than your version."

Dumbledore smiled. "I simply must try this Final Fantasy game that everyone's been talking about," he announced unexpectedly, meandering over to the gaming section.

I laughed and shook my head at his antics, then realized that my brother and friends had left me. I had only taken a few steps when I found Bill and Tonks wrapped up in each other, his arms around her waist, hers around his neck, their foreheads touching while they smiled at one another.

The sight caused me to stop in my tracks and mutter 'What the fuck?' under my breath; then a very pretty, albeit upset, blonde stalked past me. I assumed that the blonde was Bill's ex-girlfriend, and my gut told me that Tonks and Bill were just putting on a show to make her jealous (which I had to admit was very immature for them).

Satisfied with that explanation, I went over to the music section and danced with Neville, Seamus and Parvati for awhile before I excused myself to look around on the second floor.

I didn't get far when I found Bill's blonde ex-girlfriend hitting on Ron, her arms around his waist while she whispered things into his ear. Ron appeared very pleased at this, yet tried to brush her off, recognizing her as off limits. The blonde was very persistent though, and Ron's pleased demeanor was changing into a pained one. He wanted her, and his will power was diminishing by the second.

I was about to stalk over to them and tell the blonde to back off, but before I could even take a step, Noelle was there. Possessing a bravery that I didn't know she had, she physically pushed the blonde off of Ron, telling her to leave him alone. By this time I was close enough to them that I could hear what they were saying, yet they didn't notice me.

"Your brother can make his own decisions, Ginny!" the blonde – who, if I remember correctly was named Fleur – stated, mistaking Noelle for me.

"I'm not Ginny," Noelle replied, crossing her arms and glaring at Fleur.

"Don't lie to me!"

Noelle's eyebrows rose. "If I were Ginny, would I do this?" And before any of us knew what was happening, Noelle had turned, brought her hands to Ron's cheeks, pulled him closer and kissed him.

"Eh?" Fleur stated in confusion, which was my sentiment exactly.

Noelle and Ron broke apart slowly; Ron was looking at her pensively.

"I think I'm going to go home before I find Fred or George making out with Parvati or someone," I announced to no one in particular.

"Eh?" Fleur asked, noticing me for the first time. I ignored her and left.

●●● **Fred **●●●

"Hey, Fred?"

"Hm?"

"Is it just me or does Parvati look amazingly good tonight?"

I glanced over to the music section and caught a glimpse of said female dancing with Neville.

"She looks amazingly good tonight," I confirmed to my twin before turning back to the register I was currently working.

"I wonder why I'm suddenly very attracted to her," George continued.

"It's probably the low-cut top."

"Yeah, I don't know what it is."

●●● **Hermione **●●●

It was getting late, but Draco and Harry both remained in my room, seemingly having no intention of leaving. Harry and I were lying on my bed, my head resting on his chest as he lazily ran a hand through my hair. I vaguely realized that if anyone who didn't know us saw us like that, they would assume that we were dating. Draco was at my desk, slouching in my chair as he checked his e-mail.

The three of us had spent the night talking and eating junk food before lapsing into silence. I had forgotten what it was like to sit in a perfectly comfortable silence with my friends. Hell, I had forgotten what it was like to have friends! It seemed as though my only friend at school was Victor.

I felt my eyes well up with tears again as I remembered how Gavin had teased me in front of the entire class earlier that day. I had been teased before of course, but I had never felt so alone in my life. Everything was becoming so unbearable.

I closed my eyes against the tears and concentrated on the beating of Harry's heart and the tapping of Draco's fingers against the keys of my keyboard. Some time passed and I heard Draco turn out the light; a moment later, he climbed into bed with us, lying on the other side of me, curling against my back and throwing an arm around my waist. The three of us fell asleep.

●●● **Ginny **●●●

"Oh good, you're up," Ron exclaimed loudly as he burst through the doors that separated my room from his.

"I could have been changing!" I yelled at him, sending him a glare as I set my book down. Why don't my brothers ever knock?

"And that would have traumatized me," he stated, coming over to plop down on his back at the foot of my bed.

I sighed. "What do you want?" I asked, nudging his head with my foot.

He swatted my foot away and stared silently up at the ceiling for a moment before rolling over and propping himself up on an elbow to face me.

"Does Noelle ever talk about me?"

"Not really," I replied truthfully, growing agitated. My brothers' love lives were so much more interesting than my own, currently nonexistent one. Ron's face looked slightly pained. "You like her don't you?" I asked with a smirk.

"What? No! At least not like that!" he snapped, way too quickly.

I smirked. "You like her."

"Shut up, Ginny!"

I giggled as he plopped back down upon his back and stared moodily up at the ceiling once more. The minutes ticked by in silence as Ron and I meditated on our thoughts. I wasn't completely sure how I felt about this recent development; a part of me felt loyalty to Hermione, but the saner part of me realized that she was far away and out of Ron's reach.

"Guess what I saw on my way out of the store tonight?" Ron asked suddenly, his voice calmer than before.

"What?"

"Parvati slapping George. He apparently made a hit on her."

I groaned. "Why are my brothers so perverted all the time?"

"It's the red hair."

I threw my pillow at Ron; he merely laughed and got up, heading toward his room.

"Goodnight, Ginny."

"Night."

●●●

_From: Noelle  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:29 PM  
__To: Ginny  
__Subject: Um…_

_Gin,_

_I don't know what to say. I also don't know why I kissed Ron. I just saw that blonde girl throwing herself on him, and I just snapped. It really frustrated me! I didn't realize what I was doing until after I did it. You're not mad are you? Please don't be mad._

_Noelle_

●

_From: Double your pleasure, double your fun!  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:32 PM  
__To: Hot Stuff  
__Subject: Hey babe!_

_Noelle,_

_If you find yourself feeling suddenly attracted to Weasley men (and let's face it, who could blame you), we're offering ourselves to you! Why stick with Ron when you could have us?_

_Sincerely,_

_The Hottest Weasleys (a.k.a. Fred and George)_

●

_From: Um…  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:35 PM  
__To: Ron's twin brothers  
__Subject: Thanks but…_

_No thanks._

_Noelle_

●

_From: Heartbroken boys  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:40 PM  
__To: She who spurned us  
__Subject: tear_

_You don't know what you're missing, babe. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find us._

●

_From: I don't understand my horny brothers  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:40 PM  
__To: Noelle  
__Subject: I'm not mad, just confused_

_Noelle,_

_Tonight was a really weird night for me. Before I walked into the love triangle that is you, my brother, and a different brother's ex-girlfriend, I saw the brother who has the blonde ex-girlfriend gazing lovingly into a teacher's eyes. That sentence was totally confusing. Disregard it completely._

_What I want to know is your feelings for Ron. In your first e-mail, it sounded like the kiss just happened, but if you really like him, I'd like to know._

_Ginny_

●

_From: Noelle  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:45 PM  
__To: Gin  
__Subject: Your brother_

_Gin,_

_I honestly don't know what I feel for Ron. Had you asked me this yesterday, I would have honestly said that we were just friends, but now I don't know._

_Noelle_

●

_From: Gin  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:55 PM  
__To: Noelle  
__Subject: My brother_

_I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. :) _

●

_From: I look good in the shower  
__Sent: September 26th, 11:56 PM  
__To: The Weasel Twins  
__Subject: Showers_

_Dudes,_

_You're not going to believe what happened tonight! I totally showered with Granger! And Potter, but we'll not focus on that bit of info. What matters is that my hair now smells like strawberries! Well, I'm knackered, so I'm going to go join Granger in bed. Potter's there too, but again, we'll just not focus on that._

_He who you want to shower with (because I know you do!)_

●

_From: We want to shower with Hermione!  
__Sent: September 27th, 4:25 AM  
__To: He who named our kick ass store without knowing it  
__Subject: Re: Showers_

_What. The. Hell. Lucky bastard._

●●●

**Author's Note:**

Wet clothes are not fun to wear. I debated to have Harry, Draco and Hermione all strip, but Harry and Hermione would never do that (Draco probably would though). Really, the whole shower thing came out of nowhere. I imagine Hermione changed into dry clothes afterwards, and Harry and Draco's soccer shorts would dry relatively fast – we'll just forget about their boxers at the moment. Or we'll pretend that their boxers dried fast as well.

Originally, I was going to have Ron and Fleur start a relationship for a bit, but I decided that that was too weird.

And you guys should thank SillyGillie for bringing Harry, Draco and Hermione together. She e-mailed me back in January and said that it would be cool to have Harry and Draco face off Krum in a soccer game. So the idea is hers and the game will take place in the next chapter! -hands SillyGillie a plate of cookies-

As for the Bill/Tonks thing… I unintentionally made them the same age in this fic, so they would have been classmates at Hogwarts. When Ron and Ginny saw them in the school's cafeteria, there was nothing going on with them. Bill was there to support the twins and he ran into Tonks. I see Bill as one of those guys who unconsciously flirts all the time, which explains his protective stance with Tonks. And when Ginny caught them together at Weasels later that night, they were just trying to make Fleur mad. This will be developed more in the next chapter.

Also, I just received a review today. Kime pointed out that I had both Harry and Draco's foster fathers and their coaches named Bert and Ernie! I noticed this awhile ago, and I meant to say something sooner, but I kept forgetting. They're not the same people; just forgot that I had named the foster fathers Bert and Ernie when I was picking a name for the soccer coaches.

And I couldn't think of any lyrics for this chapter, so I just don't have any.


	7. Goodnight and Go

**Hogwarts High II  
**_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** I woke up this morning and felt as though I could write this chapter…so I did. There's a lot of hooking up in this chapter. Like a lot. Like…that's the whole chapter basically. If raging hormones aren't your thing, you may not want to read. Also, I wrote this in one sitting and haven't proofread. And it's now one in the morning.

**Disclaimer:** I mention a lot of stuff in this chapter…I own none of it.

Chapter Seven  
_Goodnight and Go_

Lyrics go here, as usual

●●● **Hermione ●●●**

"…highly inappropriate behavior!"

"I have half a mind to expel you on the spot! If it weren't for your outstanding academic record…"

"…went way beyond the line of making our visiting students feel welcome!"

"I must tell you, Ms. Granger, if you put one more toe out of line, I may be reduced to take drastic measures!"

My principal and guidance counselor both paused to catch their breath, and they sent questioning looks to Harry and Draco's coach, who had remained silent during the entire lecture. I had the distinct impression that Harry and Draco could do no wrong in their coach's eye as long as they continued to win soccer games.

"Er…staying in Ms. Granger's room last night was very wrong," he attempted pathetically. Neither Harry nor Draco looked as though they felt like they were in serious trouble; they were both sitting leisurely in the plush armchairs of my principal's office, smirking slightly at one another. "And I assure you that you'll both be severely punished when we return back to school," the coach lied, "but right now we have a game to win." Harry and Draco both broke into large smiles as their coach ushered them out of the office. I turned back to my principal and guidance counselor, both of whom looked highly displeased.

"You'll be serving detention everyday after class for the next week," my principal stated. "You may go now."

I sputtered a few more apologies before turning and leaving the office. I meandered through the halls and wondered vaguely how much of the school had found out that I had two boys spend the night in my room last night. I got my answer when I reached the soccer field and was met with hundreds of eyes focusing upon me. My classmates turned towards one another and whispered behind one hand while pointing at me with the other. I felt as though I was wearing the scarlet letter on my chest even though I hadn't had sex, much less committed adultery.

Ignoring the tightness in my chest and the burn of embarrassment on my cheeks, I sought out Victor, who was stretching with his teammates.

"Good luck today," I told him.

He paused from his stretching and slowly looked up at me, his face grim and eyes slightly accusing. "Thanks," he muttered softly before turning away and running laps around the field. I stood on the sidelines and watched him, my mind trying to process his cold demeanor. He knew me; he knew I wasn't some loose tart who slept -- in the non-literal sense -- with not one, but two random guys.

Not far off, I heard Draco and Harry arguing with one another. From what I could gather from their shouts, Draco had kicked a soccer ball at Harry when Harry wasn't looking and now Harry was roughly pushing Draco and shouting at him, causing Draco to push and shout back and their coach to dance around them nervously, as if he truly believed that they'd kill each other before the game even started.

I sighed and found a spot on the ground to watch the game, bringing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

The game started with Victor and Draco, both forwards for their respective teams, walking up to the center of the field where the ball awaited them. Draco held out his hand good-naturedly, but Victor merely glared at him and refused to shake. The referee blew the whistle and Victor shot forward, stealing the ball right under Draco and plowing ahead, dodging random players and heading straight towards Harry in the goal. He shot and the ball flew straight at Harry at a ridiculous speed. Harry caught it and threw it to one of his own players and the game continued, Victor looking highly acrimonious.

I had seen Victor play before, and I knew he had a keen determination, a fervor to win at all costs; but today he seemed determined only to beat Harry and Draco in every sense of the word. When he wasn't slamming into or tripping Draco, he was aiming all of his shots directly at Harry instead of the net. By halftime, both Harry and Draco had caught on that they were targets of a seemingly very angry 19-year-old, and they tried to coerce their coach into letting them sit out, but as the best players on their team, they were both sent back in.

The second half of the game consisted of Draco squealing and running away whenever Victor came after him, and Harry wincing and bracing himself whenever Victor viciously kicked the ball at him. A part of me wanted to run into the field and yell at Victor, to set the entire school straight on what had happened the night before and my real relationship with Harry and Draco, but I couldn't. I sat where I was and watched as my newest friend attacked two of my older friends for no apparent reason.

Needless to say that my school's team won the game.

"Friend of yours?" Draco asked, panting heavily and jerking a thumb at Victor who was being carried off by his teammates.

"I'm sorry, you guys," I apologized, looking at the various bruises that were starting to appear on their bodies.

"No, we're the ones who apparently ruined your reputation," Harry countered. "We're sorry."

"Speak for yourself, Potter. I highly enjoyed my night with Granger. Would have been better if you weren't there, of course…"

Harry punched Draco's arm, causing him to wince. Harry looked back to his team; his coach was on his knees, a fist in his mouth as he looked up at the sky and cried openly over their loss.

"We better get back before we miss the bus home," Harry said somberly. I nodded and the three of us gazed at one another silently for a minute, all of us reluctant to leave; then, Harry did something he has never done before and kissed my cheek.

"Take care of yourself, 'Mione," he said before turning and walking back to his team.

Draco and I stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before a devilish grin broke out on his face and he gathered me up in his arms, dipped me low as if we were dancing and kissed me right on the lips before straightening and letting go. "Later, babe," he said playfully, before joining Harry.

I laughed and shook my head, tears filling my eyes. They weren't even gone and I missed them already. I turned around and saw that the majority of my classmates were staring at me and talking loudly amongst themselves. Victor, surrounded by his teammates, looked hurt. Once everyone realized that I was staring at them, they ignored me and went off to have a celebratory party that I was sure I wasn't invited to. I went back to my dorm room, alone.

●●● **Ron ●●●**

The first couple of weeks after the opening of Weasels were very weird. The twins were hardly home, even at night, and Mom, Dad and Bill were usually out as well, leaving Ginny and I as the only ones in a suddenly very empty and quiet house.

At first the emptiness and silence of the house scared us and we would turn on as many lights and noise-making objects as we could in an attempt to bring some sort of normalcy to the house. There was one memorable evening when Noelle had entered the house unannounced and found all the lights on, the TV and radio blaring and Ginny and I dancing around the kitchen, singing Rock the Casbah at the top of our lungs while we attempted to cook dinner. After that incident, the house wasn't so empty anymore. Noelle came over after school almost every day, and eventually others did as well. Neville once brought his girlfriend, a blue-eyed blonde named Luna, and she attempted to convince me that Michael Jackson was actually an alien prince sent to take over the world.

Needless to say that Ginny and I became rather close over the weeks. Not that we weren't close to begin with, but with Harry and Hermione gone, we sort of became one another's best friends in their absence. Which is why I found myself outside catching bugs one evening, despite the fact that I was exhausted from soccer practice and had an English test to study for still.

"Ginny, over here! I got a moth!" Ginny rushed over to where I was kneeling in the grass with her kill jar: a jar that contained several cotton balls doused with nail polish remover. I had the moth caught in a bug net and I helped Ginny coax it into the kill jar.

"This project is stupid," Ginny complained as she slammed the lid onto the jar. "I feel like a mini Hitler or something."

I gave Ginny a look but didn't say anything. I secretly suspected that she was just as lazy as I am when it comes to homework.

"How about we take a break?" I suggested, stretching my aching legs out in front of me. "You only need to catch a few more bugs anyway."

Ginny shrugged and held her kill jar up to her face, watching as the moth fluttered helplessly for a bit before sinking to the bottom of the jar.

"So, Noelle came up to watch the soccer team practice again today," I stated as nonchalantly as I could.

Ginny snorted. "Ron you are so obvious, it's actually kind of sad."

"What?" I asked. I felt the damn Weasley blush rising to my cheeks. Thank God it was dark out.

"You have the hots for Noelle."

"I do not! I think she has the hots for me!"

"She does have the hots for you," Ginny announced. My interest perked immediately. "And you quite obviously have the hots for her as well!" Ginny continued. "And I think you should do something about it before one or both of you spontaneously combusts or something!" Ginny smiled at me, picked up her kill jar and net and walked back toward the house, leaving me to my thoughts.

●●● **Harry ●●●**

My bed dipped down slightly as someone sat on the edge of it. The movement brought me back to consciousness and I opened my eyes slightly to find Jaclyn staring down at me with a small smile.

"Hey," she said softly.

I groaned in response and brought a hand to rub the sleep from my eyes as I tried to regain my bearings. I remembered coming up to my room to work on homework and settling down in bed to read some story for my English class. I must have dozed off while reading; my clock said that it was ten at night.

"Draco cheats at video games, so I decided to come in and check on you," she explained, still using a soft voice as if she expected me to fall asleep again. She took the book that was lying open on my chest, closed it and set it upon my nightstand; then she reached for my glasses (I've been wearing them more often than contacts lately), took them off and placed them on my nightstand as well. Her hand lightly brushed against my cheek and my hand immediately went to circle around her wrist as I squinted up at her.

Draco and I still hadn't figured this girl out. She didn't seem to have any friends, but we didn't know why. She was rich just like the other kids at our school. She was pretty in the pop culture conventional sense too: slight tan, long blonde hair and designer clothes. Sure she was conceited and stuck up, but so was every other kid in this place. But there were also times when she was very kind and seemed vulnerable, and it was in these moments that I found myself liking her, if only a little bit.

Jaclyn interpreted my grasp on her wrist and intense gaze in a different way than what I meant to exude. She twisted her wrist slightly so that I released my grip on it, then she interlaced her fingers with my own on the pillow beside my head. Her other hand came up and traced my jaw as she stared down at me.

Some small voice in the back of my head was telling me to say something, or to sit up, or to even call Draco into the room, but I did nothing; my sleepy mind couldn't register what was going on.

Jaclyn tossed her long hair over her shoulder, leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against mine. Once. Twice. Three times. At first I just stayed still, my lips firmly shut and immobile as she kissed me, but I eventually gave in and responded, at first just lightly kissing her back.

Maybe it was because I hadn't had a proper make-out session for the better part of a year, or maybe it was because Jaclyn was lightly tracing her fingertips over the lines of my opened palm, but I suddenly became the brave one, seeking permission to deepen the kiss. She opened immediately which somewhat shocked me, but I was too muddled to think about it. I could taste her, which also somewhat shocked me; Ginny and Padma never had much of a taste unless they were eating something, but Jaclyn tasted faintly of sugar, and I remembered just how much candy she consumed throughout the day.

Our kisses were slow and languid and we repeatedly had to break apart to catch our breaths…to remember to breathe. She pulled away slightly to catch her breath and I playfully nipped her chin and a soft gasp escaped her lips and suddenly she kissed me again, her hand clasping mine tightly as if she never wanted to let it go.

And suddenly I was wide awake and happy. My heart raced and my palms got sweaty and my jeans were beginning to get a tad uncomfortable and all we were doing was kissing! And I didn't know her – not really anyway – and she definitely wasn't Ginny, but she tasted like sweets and she was there and Ginny wasn't and she was just sitting on the side of my bed, but I was fairly certain that I could coax her to lay with me and she'd probably let me touch her and…

"Jaclyn, it's totally your turn to rock the guitar hero!"

Draco's voice drifted across the hall to us and she pulled away, her eyes heavy and her lips swollen. I mouthed 'no' and reached out for her. She kissed my fingertips and stood, smoothing out her hair and clothes. She walked to the door and smiled at me over her shoulder before disappearing into the hallway.

I laid in my bed and stared at my ceiling for what seemed like eternity. I couldn't fall asleep and Draco came into my room sometime around midnight. He was still dressed and had a stupid smirk on his face as he hovered over my bed.

"How was it, Potter?" he asked.

I scowled at him. "What are you talking about, Malfoy?"

"You must think I've got shit for brains or something. I know what a girl looks like when she's been good and properly kissed. Now don't lie to me, Potter!" Draco slapped at my legs and I sat up so that he could sit at the end of the bed.

"It was good," I admitted finally. "Really good. Like terrific good."

Draco smiled. "But let's also keep in mind that it's been awhile since you've gotten any and you're probably a horny bastard right now."

I scowled at him yet again. "And when was the last time you got some?" I asked him angrily.

"Last May. Which I happen to know was several months after the last time you've gotten any," he replied without blinking.

He was right, so I didn't say anything.

"So did you two manage to get any talking done? Are you a couple or…?"

"We…um…"

"Well, that answers that."

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "I thought she liked you," I stated finally, my confused mind mulling over exactly what was going on.

Draco was silent for a moment, biting a nail lazily. "Maybe a long time ago, but then I apparently rejected her and made out with an inanimate object, remember?"

"Do you remember anything about her from back then?"

He shrugged. "Just stuff we already know. Only child. Rich. Blonde." Draco was silent yet again, this time for much longer. "I'm not going to tell Ron or Ginny about this," he stated finally. And then he stood and left my room.

●●● **Hermione ●●●**

Six o'clock Friday evening, after I had finished my last detention and had been taken home by my parents, I went to Victor's house. He had taken me there once over the weekend to meet his parents. I went up to the front door and rang the bell, painfully aware that my palms were sweaty. To my relief, Victor answered, his eyes growing wide with shock when he found me standing on his door step.

"We need to talk," I stated simply.

He nodded and stepped aside so that I could enter the house. Silently, we walked past his trophies and went down into the basement. I settled in the cushy couch and he remained standing, fidgeting nervously.

"You want something to drink?" he asked, gesturing toward the bar, which I knew held not only alcohol, but sodas and juices as well.

"I'm fine thanks," I replied, although my mouth actually was dry. He nodded and settled into a chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his eyes locked onto mine, waiting for me to 'talk'.

"Look," I stated at last. "I didn't have sex with Harry and Draco. I've actually never had sex." His eyes widened and I noticed a slight blush creep up his neck, but he didn't say anything so I continued. "Draco and Harry are my friends from back home; I've known them since Kindergarten. We hadn't seen each other in ages and we were just catching up. The thought of doing anything physical with them honestly disgusts me."

"They kissed you!" Victor stated suddenly. I gave him a look.

"You saw those kisses; did they look passionate or anything?"

Victor deflated and shook his head. I got up from my spot on the couch and knelt before him, taking his hands into my own.

"Listen Victor, I understand that as a friend you're concerned over my reputation, but I can honestly say that I didn't do anything last night that you should be ashamed of. There's no reason for you to be upset with me."

Victor shook his head in frustration. "Hermione, for a smart girl, you can be really blind sometimes!" And with that, he lowered his head and kissed me. My eyes remained wide open and my heart pounded within my rib cage.

He pulled away and smiled slightly and all I could do was blink like an idiot. I remembered kissing Gavin and then running away before figuring out what was going on, and I didn't want that to happen again. I was confused; Victor was a puzzle that I needed to figure out. I raised myself higher on my knees, tilted my head and kissed him again.

For his credit, he didn't push anything. He cupped my face and kissed me softly, and after a few minutes he pulled away again.

"How about that drink?" he asked, smiling and running his hands up and down my arms. This time I accepted.

●●● **Noelle ●●●**

Ron was chasing me around his room with the intent to tickle me.

We had arrived at his home after school to find it completely empty, Ginny having gone shopping with Luna and Parvati. It was the first time that Ron and I found ourselves completely alone and whatever ease we were feeling before entering the house quickly disappeared when we realized that we had the whole place to ourselves.

At first, I felt panicked. Ginny had assured me over and over again that Ron was feeling the same confusion over me as I was over him and that if I kissed him again, he'd kiss back. Yet Ginny also thought that Joey and Rachel from _Friends_ would end up together.

We ended up going to his room to study, which only made matters worse. He turned on his stereo in order to relieve some of the tension, and it helped. He laughed at me as I bobbed my head along with the music, and I poked him in return, and he tried to tickle me, but I rolled out of his reach, stood and backed into the wall as he came after me. And a flat out tickle war ensue, our homework laying forgotten on the floor.

Our tickle war ended when we crashed down upon his bed together, him on top of me, both of us breathing heavily.

"Fuck," Ron whispered before capturing my mouth with his own. He was tentative with his kisses, just like Draco was when we had first started dating. Back then I appreciated the tentativeness; I hadn't had a boyfriend before and everything was so new to me…and slightly scary. But Draco had been patient and allowed me to go at my own pace and to figure things out on my own. Back then I liked taking things slow, but now it only frustrated me. I wasn't a scared little girl; I was a seventeen-year-old who had dated Draco Malfoy, and I wanted Ron to know that.

I found the hem of his shirt and began pulling it upwards. Ron broke our kiss and stared at me, panting heavily as I continued to pull his shirt off. He raised his arms obligingly and his shirt fell to the floor. I lifted my head to kiss him again, but he pulled away and sat up, staring at me, seemingly in great thought. I grew frustrated again. He was probably going to give me the 'I don't want to rush you' line.

"Is there anything I can do that'll make you slap me and stalk off angrily?" he asked instead, and I couldn't help but smile; he was beginning to understand me.

I pretended to think a minute before replaying, "Nope."

He smiled and swore under his breath. "I guess they're right about red heads being…" he trailed off.

"Well I don't know. You're a red head yet you're…" I was going to say hesitating, but he cut me off before I had the chance. He pulled me toward him, wrapped his arms around me and kissed me properly this time. Now that he knew the threat of doing something wrong was gone, he was a lot less tentative. He sucked and nibbled and peeled my shirt away just as I began unbuckling his belt. I half expected him to hesitate again, but he merely shrugged his jeans off and resumed kissing me. I couldn't help smiling against his mouth.

"Hey, Ron, we brought you leftovers and…"

Ron tore away from me so quickly that I fell off of his bed and onto his hard floor. There, standing in the doorway, were three of his older brothers: the twins and the eldest one, Bill. They were all staring at us with wide eyes and gaping jaws.

"Where's the camera?!?" one of the twins shouted, stepping out of the room and running up and down the hallway in a crazy fashion. "Where the hell is the camera?!?"

Bill, his face bright red, pushed the other twin out of the room and closed the door behind him, muttering apologies.

"I've got to go," I stated suddenly, finding my shirt next to me on the floor and pulling it on. "I think I'll leave out of the window so I don't have to face them," I added, gathering my books. Ron was still sitting on his bed half naked. I put my schoolbag on my back and climbed out of the window.

"Noelle, wait," Ron said once I was outside. I turned towards him questioningly.

"Seamus' Halloween party?"

"Yes." I smiled and kissed him before running as far away from that house as I could.

●●● **Ron ●●●**

I waited until I had calmed down some and dressed before leaving my room, and I found not only Bill and the twins, but Charlie as well, in the kitchen. They all started yelling very loudly when I came in.

"You guys called Charlie over?" I asked as Fred and George rushed over to thump me on the back.

"We've got Percy on speakerphone too," Charlie announced brightly, and sure enough, I heard Percy's voice muttering something about, "This is highly inappropriate! I don't want to celebrate with you guys!" coming from the phone's general region.

"Come on, Perce," Bill coaxed. "Just one beer to celebrate Ron almost losing his virginity!"

"Ewwww!"

The five of us turned to see Ginny standing by the door, a shopping bag in her hand. Bill and Charlie, who couldn't fathom Ginny as anything but a sweet, innocent little girl, immediately whitened. The twins and I, who knew a little better, only smirked.

"I don't wanna know! I don't wanna know! I don't wanna know!" Ginny exclaimed, while holding her hands over her ears and running to her bedroom.

"Was that Ginny?" Percy asked over the speakerphone. "Hello? I have no idea what's going on here."

●●● **Harry ●●●**

At first Jaclyn acted as if what had happened between us the night before didn't happen. She picked us up, offered us donuts and drove us to school, making random comments about the weather. Draco offered me a look of pity as we arrived at school. But then, right when we were splitting up to go to our separate homerooms, Jaclyn turned and kissed me, right in front of Draco and several other students.

Draco smirked. "Well I guess that answers the 'are you a couple?' question!"

●●●

_From: Hermione  
__Sent: Oct 20th, 8:30 PM  
__To: Ginny  
__Subject: Me and Victor_

_Ginny,_

_Victor and I have started dating!_

_Love,  
__Hermione_

●

_From: Noelle  
__Sent: Oct 20th, 8:40 PM  
__To: Ginny  
__Subject: Me and Ron_

_Ginny,_

_I don't know if you've heard from your other brother or not but…Ron and I are now a couple!_

_Love,  
__Noelle_

●

_From: Harry  
__Sent: Oct 20th, 8:50 PM  
__To: Ginny  
__Subject: Er…_

_Ginny,_

_I feel like you should know that…I'm kind of seeing someone._

_Harry_

●

_From: Gin  
__Sent: Oct 20th, 9:00 PM  
__To: The Handsome One  
__Subject: And to think we used to be the slutty ones_

_Draco,_

_All of our friends have significant others. We're the only single ones left._

_Ginny_

●

_From: Yes, I am handsome  
__Sent: Oct 20th, 8:51 PM  
__To: The Beautiful One  
__Subject: Well…_

_My Dearest Ginny,_

_We should totally start dating online. _

_What color panties are you wearing?_

_With love,  
__Draco_

●

_From: Ginny  
__Sent: Oct 20th, 8:55 PM  
__To: Draco  
__Subject: …_

_Draco,_

_If you weren't miles away, I'd slap your face._

_Ginny_

●_●●_

**End Author's Note: **A small part of me is wondering whether or not I should post this. But most of me is hungry and insanely tired, so I think I will post it. And I'm kind of kicking myself now because I just remembered Cho Chang. I haven't put her in this fic yet, and now that I think about it, I could have had her instead of Jaclyn. But it's too late for that now. And I was going to have some Bill/Tonks/Remus in this chapter but ran out of room/time. I'm very, very hungry. Someone feed me. Also? I'm a junior in college now and I feel like I'm losing track of the going ons of high schoolers. If anyone wants to enlighten me with how high school is these days, and how high schoolers act and stuff, that would be wonderful.


	8. Why do I even bother with titles?

**Hogwarts High**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Hello! I'm back again with another HHII update! And I think it's only been a few months since the last time I updated. Go me! I'm really excited because after I upload this chapter, there's a very good chance of HHII breaking the 300 review mark! I was actually just reading the reviews, and I realized that a lot of people ask me questions in reviews and I don't always answer them. I'm sorry! I'm getting better at PMing people though. Anyway, someone asked whether or not Harry and Ginny had slept together when they were dating in HHI, and the answer is no (remember, Harry even admitted to Ron and the twins that he and Ginny actually never got very far). As a matter of fact, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, Parvati, Neville and Luna are all virgins. The others are not. Draco actually lost his virginity early at age 13 to Pansy. Poor Draco…I gave him a messed up childhood. It probably explains why he's so messed up now. …Why am I talking about this again?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own HP…

Chapter Eight  
Why do I even attempt to title these chapters?

••• **Remus •••**

"Sirius, where are my pants?" I ran down the stairs, one hand firmly grasping the towel around my waist. Sirius gave me an inquisitive glance over his newspaper.

"They're apparently not on you," he stated, quirking an eyebrow at my partial nudity.

I sighed in frustration and brushed my dripping locks off of my forehead. It was drafty in the old house, and I wanted nothing more than to dry off and put some damn clothes on.

"I think Andromeda took some clothes to wash them," Sirius continued, disappearing once again behind the newspaper. "Aw, the Weasley kids made the honor roll, bless them."

"I want some pants!" I stated loudly to no one in particular.

"Whatever for?" came a female voice from my left as Narcissa entered the room. "Looking good, Remus."

"No," I stated at once.

"No, what?" she replied, eyeing me curiously.

"Whatever advances you're planning to make on me, the answer is no," I told her, tightening my grip on my towel.

Narcissa huffed in indignation and plopped onto the couch. "Well, my choices are kind of limited here, Remus!" she stated loudly. "I mean, who else am I going to sleep with? Him?" she waved a hand at her cousin.

Sirius immediately lowered the newspaper, eyeing Narcissa with a sly grin. "Kinky!" he said at once, throwing the newspaper down and advancing upon the blonde woman on the couch.

"Sirius, no!" Narcissa shouted, holding her hands up to block her cousin's playful advances. "Down, boy!"

"Oh, Cissa! I didn't know you felt this way!" Sirius jokingly exclaimed as he half-heartedly tried to embrace her.

"Oh my God!"

The three of us froze as Tonks entered the room to find her cousin and aunt in what looked like a compromising position, and me in a towel watching them.

"I think you three should get out of the house more often or something," she stated, her eyes wide with shock. She no longer had short, bubble gum pink hair; it was now a little longer and blonde with a streak of purple behind her left ear.

"It's a Friday," Narcissa stated irritably, brushing Sirius off of her. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Dumbledore cancelled since it's Halloween," Tonks replied.

"Yes, that sounds like the sort of crazy thing Dumbledore would do," Narcissa admitted.

"Did Dumbles make you change your hair too?" Sirius asked. He was still sitting by Narcissa on the couch but was no longer touching her.

Tonks ran a hand through her hair nonchalantly. "No, I just got tired of the pink, and Bill likes blondes so…"

She said it so naturally that it took a moment for it to hit us. _'Bill likes blondes…'_ Sirius and Narcissa immediately eyed her suspiciously, looking as though they were going to press the matter. Something knotted in my stomach and I suddenly didn't want to hear anything more about what Bill did or did not like.

"Sirius, can I borrow your clothes?" I asked rather quickly.

"Absolutely not," Sirius replied, not taking his eyes off of Tonks.

I ignored Sirius and went up the stairs anyway with the intent of borrowing his clothes. His jeans were fashionably ripped and faded, and his shirts were a bit on the tight side. I didn't look a thing like my normal self, but unless I wanted to wear Narcissa's dresses and skirts, I had no other choice. Sighing, I returned to the living room to find Tonks sitting alone.

"Where's Sirius and Narcissa?" I asked.

"They wanted to be alone for awhile," she replied softly.

I paused, disgust crossing my face. Tonks laughed.

"Not like that!" she said quickly. "I told them what I found out about Harry and Draco from the Weasleys, and I think they both realized how much they miss their kids. Sirius is outside and Narcissa is in the kitchen."

I sighed with relief and went to sit on the couch.

"So how are they? Harry and Draco, I mean."

Tonks shrugged, bringing a hand to play with a lock of her blonde hair. The blonde hair that Bill apparently liked. "They spent a month or so in some group home before getting adopted by a rich family. Harry has a new girlfriend. Ginny's very upset about it."

"Wait! They got adopted by the _same_ family?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Don't you think it's weird? I mean…people don't normally adopt teenagers, much less two of them!"

Tonks shrugged again. "I heard the family really wanted boys and liked the fact that both of them were raised out of the system."

That didn't convince me. I ran my hand through my hair, thinking.

"Look, Remus," Tonks said, getting up from her chair and sitting by me on the couch, placing a hand on my knee. "I'll tell Ron to keep an eye on them, okay?"

I didn't answer. I just stared at her hand on my knee. I was just going to ask her whether or not she and Bill were seeing one another when her cell phone rang.

"Hey, Bill," she greeted casually. Her hand left my knee. She was silent for a moment in which she listened to Bill talk; I could hear his voice. "Bill, Seamus Finnegan is a high schooler. Are you sure we should be going to his party?" Tonks listened again, a smile crossing her face. "Okay, I'll see you then." She snapped her cell phone closed. I noted that she did not tell Bill that she loved him. Then I scolded myself for noticing that.

"I gotta go," she said, getting up from the couch and heading towards the door. "A student of mine is apparently having a rager of a party and Bill wants to crash it to keep an eye on his younger siblings. How uncool is that?" She turned to smile at me, her hand on the door knob. "Take care of yourself, Remus," she said, smiling prettily. "And make sure Si and Cissa don't procreate. We have enough messed up teenagers on our hands as it is."

I laughed nervously and somehow managed to say goodbye. When she left, I spent a long time sitting in the darkening living room by myself.

••• **Harry •••**

"Draco, stop it! That's Jenny's!"

It was Halloween night and the trick-or-treating hour was coming to a close. A few of the older trick-or-treaters were still running around from yard to yard in an attempt to collect more candy, but most of the littler ones were heading home. I was holding Princess Jenny, who was sleeping with her head upon my shoulder, the layers of her princess dress draping over my arms. Draco was holding her bags of candy, and was therefore rummaging through them.

"A little girl can't eat this much candy by herself!" Draco reasoned, popping a jawbreaker into his mouth. "It'll just rot in her room to be found three years later at the bottom of her closet."

I decided not to argue with him. He had a point, plus we were walking past Jaclyn's street. I saw her sitting on her front porch, handing some candy to a group of what looked liked 12-year-olds.

"Honestly, Potter! Just go to her and stop this pathetic, forlorn staring!" Draco demanded, following my gaze. "Here," he said, holding out his arms, "give me Jenny, I'll take her home."

"You sure?" I asked, surprised.

"Before I change my mind, Potter!"

I handed Jenny over to him. She mumbled something in her sleep before wrapping her tiny arms around Draco's neck and snuggling her head under his chin. Draco started walking home.

"Draco!" I called after him. He stopped and turned to face me and for a moment, I was struck speechless over how much he changed within the past year. His bleached blonde hair was long gone, replaced by his natural black and spiked messily. He had some color to his face and for the first time since I've known him, he looked…happy. "Thanks, man," I told him.

"You owe me one," he said, smiling. "Later, Harry."

I took off down the street, coming up to Jaclyn's house. She appeared to be done handing out candy; she was standing up and collecting the bowls.

"Hey!" I said, coming up to her porch. She turned around quickly, dropping the bowls in fright.

"Harry!" she said, her face very pale. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," I replied softly, taking her in. She was dressed in Ugg boots, pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and it looked like she wasn't wearing make-up. This was highly unusual. I kind of liked it. She bent down to pick up the bowls, her hands shaking.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah. I just…I just really hate Halloween, that's all." She straightened and tried to smile, but failed miserably. "You wanna come in?" she asked, opening the front door to her house and stepping in. I entered her house and followed her to her gigantic kitchen as she placed the bowls in the sink.

"Want one?" she asked, her voice shaking as she waved an arm to a platter of candied and caramel apples that were sitting on the counter. She appeared to be trying to distract me. It wasn't going to work.

"Why do you hate Halloween, Jaclyn?" I asked. She glanced down at her feet. For a minute, I thought she wasn't going to answer, but then she raised her head, her eyes rimmed with tears.

"Last Halloween, I went to a party with Caleb Elliot; he was my boyfriend at the time."

"You dated Caleb Elliot? Doesn't his dad, like, own this community?"

She nodded sadly. "Anyway, Caleb got up in front of everyone and told me that…" she paused as if her throat was no longer working properly. "He told me that he never really liked me. His friends dared him to go out with me and that everything he ever said to me was a lie."

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath.

"And what's worse is that when I came home that night, my parents were upset with me because I was no longer dating him. And of course the entire school took his side, which is why I don't really have any…" she trailed off.

"You have me." The words were out of my mouth before I even realized it. She gazed up at me, her eyes hopeful. "And Draco," I added as an afterthought. A small laugh escaped her lips, and I smiled back at her and reached out my hand, drawing her closer to me.

"And you have this," I said, leaning down to kiss her. She tasted like chocolate.

••• **Ron •••**

"Ron! Have you seen Ginny?"

I broke my gaze from the apple bobbing contest to see Bill standing above me in a fit of fury. His angry expression melted somewhat as he gave me sly grin; Noelle was sitting on my lap.

"What about Ginny?" I asked.

"The skirt she's wearing is entirely too short!" Bill raved.

I shrugged and rested my chin on Noelle's shoulder. "I dunno; I've seen shorter."

"Thank you, Ron!"

Suddenly, Ginny was with us. She was clad in boots, black tights, a denim mini skirt, a black t-shirt and had kitty ears and penciled on whiskers.

"Back off, Bill," she said, jabbing our brother in the chest with her finger. "If Ron and the twins are okay with me dressing like this, then you should be too!"

"Are you wearing underwear?" Bill asked her angrily. Ginny's mouth hung open, and I laughed into Noelle's neck.

"OF COURSE I'M WEARING UNDERWEAR!" Ginny all but screamed, causing those around us to give us odd looks.

"Bill, let's go," Tonks came up and wrapped her arms around Bill in attempt to get him to leave. "You're just here to check up on your siblings and that's not cool."

"I am not!" Bill stated, taking the drink from my hand and sniffing it suspiciously.

"It's just cider!" I told him. He took a drink and seemed satisfied, handing it back to me.

Ginny threw her hands up in exasperation and marched off to join Dean and Parvati. I noticed Dean eyeing her, and I suddenly wondered if maybe her skirt was a bit on the short side. Tonks came in front of Bill, placing her hand on his chest and gazing sternly at his face. "We're leaving," she told him.

"You just want to leave because you feel uncomfortable at the same party as your students!" Bill retaliated.

"Hey, Bill, maybe she wants to leave to give you a treat?" I told him.

Tonks turned to look at me, smirking. "If I were on duty, I'd totally give you a detention for that remark, Ron," she told me before turning back to Bill. "They'll be fine, Bill," she told him.

Bill looked at me and then turned to look at Ginny who was laughing at something Dean had said. Bill sighed, his shoulders sinking before he turned back to look at me.

"Be careful," he told me before taking Tonks' hand and walking away.

"Tonks is such a cool teacher," Noelle said very close to my ear.

"Yeah," I agreed, turning my head so that I could look at her. She looked comfortable and happy.

"Come on," she said, getting up from my lap and taking hold of my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked, allowing her to pull me along. Seamus passed us and I gave him my cider. "Noelle?" She didn't answer. She just led me through the crowd of people and out the front door to where numerous cars were parked in Seamus' massive front lawn.

We found Old Betsy and she opened the door to the backseat and crawled in. I hesitated for a second, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby before getting in as well.

She smiled at me and tugged lightly at the front of my shirt, pulling me forward so that she could kiss me. We kissed for a few minutes, her hand on my chest and mine on her waist. "Ron," she whispered between kisses. "Touch me."

My brain was momentarily confused; I was touching her. Then, her hand left my chest and guided my hand under her shirt and upwards until it came in contact with what felt like lace. And then my brain just stopped working completely. Still kissing her, I leaned forward until she was lying down and I was on top of her. She wrapped her legs around me as I kissed my way to her neck, trying to figure out what she liked and what she didn't; she was different from Hermione.

I was just about to take off my shirt in the hopes that she would follow suit when the front car door opened and Ginny got in.

"Shit! Could my life get any worse?" she swore as she looked in the rearview mirror and saw us. Noelle immediately pushed me into a sitting position; she was blushing furiously, her eyes staring apologetically at Ginny who looked like she might be sick.

"Sorry, Ginny. We're done. Do you wanna go home? Ron take us home."

I shifted uncomfortably. "Um, yeah, I think I'm just going to, um, sit back here." I reached into my pocket for my keys. "You can, um, drive, Noelle."

"Ron, why are you being such a…" Ginny spat, turning around to face me; however, her eyes flickered to my uncomfortable jeans and she immediately faced the front again, looking traumatized. "I'm going to ask someone else to drive me home," she said very quietly before bolting from the car.

"Well," said Noelle after a few minutes of silence. "That could have gone worse."

••• **Ginny •••**

I walked away from Old Betsy on shaky legs, my arms wrapped around myself and tears filling my eyes. I felt as though I was going to be sick or something. After I was a safe distance from the car that my brother was fornicating in, I stopped and sat down on the ground, allowing my tears to fall freely and cradling my head in my hands.

"Time heals all wounds."

My head snapped up to see Luna sitting next to me. Neville was standing beside us, car keys in his hand.

"Ginny, are you okay?" he asked.

"She's wonderful. Beautiful," Luna replied, brushing the hair back from my face and handing me a tissue.

"I'm not wonderful," I croaked, using the tissue to wipe my nose. "I'm a horrible person. Everyone's moving on but me. I just can't seem to let go!" Admitting this caused me to cry even harder; Luna wrapped her arms around me and allowed me to cry onto her shirt.

"You like to keep the ones you love close to you; there's nothing wrong with that," she said.

I sniffled and sat up. "I'm sorry, you guys. I'm keeping you from the party."

"Nah," Neville said, waving his hand. "We were just leaving. Parties aren't really our thing."

"Do you want a ride home?" Luna asked. I glanced at the two of the hopefully.

"Yeah, come on, Gin," Neville said, helping me up. "You're house is on the way to Luna's. It's no problem at all."

They led me to Neville's car and within minutes we were on the road. The windows were open and the cool breeze was very refreshing to me; it dried my eyes at least. Neville and Luna didn't talk, but Luna occasionally glanced back at me, offering me a slight smile.

"Thanks, you guys," I said once they pulled up to my house. "For everything."

"Anytime, Ginny," Neville replied.

I watched them drive away before going inside through the laundry room.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, coming into the kitchen where I found a pajama-clad Bill and George making what appeared to be a frozen pizza as a midnight snack.

"I am waiting for you and Ron to come home," Bill stated. "He's hungry," he added, nodding towards George.

"You didn't go home with Tonks?" I asked, gazing at Bill questioningly. Bill blushed furiously.

"Ginny, Weasley men wait until marriage," Bill announced lamely.

"Oh really? They do?" I asked skeptically, an image of Ron and Noelle in the backseat flashing through my mind.

George snorted as he leaned over to take the pizza out of the oven. "Bill, Ginny's not five. And I think she knows that Weasley men do not wait until marriage."

"Believe me, I know more than I want to," I groaned.

Both Bill's and George's heads snapped up. "What?" they asked simultaneously.

I blushed. "I kind of walked in on Ron and Noelle making out tonight. They were fully clothed and stuff but…Ron was really excited."

To my utter dismay, both Bill and George burst out laughing. "Poor Ron," George said.

"Poor Ron?" I asked. "What about poor Ginny?"

"Ginny, you used to take baths with Ron," George reasoned. "You've seen it before."

"Yes, but I haven't seen it like…GRAH!" I threw my arms up into the air in frustration, stalked to the table and sat down moodily. Bill and George joined me with their pizza, completely at ease.

"You didn't answer my question," I told Bill at last. He gazed at me curiously, his mouth full of pizza. "Why you didn't go home with Tonks."

"I told you," he said, looking down at his plate. "I had to be here to make sure you and Ron came home."

"Wait, so you really are dating Tonks?" George cut in.

Bill nodded.

"Huh," George stated. "I always got the touchy feely friends vibe from you two."

"We're just going slow," Bill replied lamely. Luckily he didn't need to say anything else because Ron chose that moment to come home. I immediately faced George so that I wouldn't have to look at Ron.

"Ginny, we're sorry," Ron sighed. I heard him approach the table and sit in the seat next to me. "We'll never make out within close proximity to you again!"

I 'humphed' in reply.

"So, uh, Ron, did you and Noelle finish?" Bill asked.

"Huh?" Ron replied; he really was clueless sometimes.

"You know…should we wake Fred up, call Charlie over and celebrate?" George added.

"I don't get what you're…"

"They're surreptitiously asking you whether or not you lost your virginity yet!" I snapped, turning so that I faced the table again.

"Oh," Ron said softly. "No."

"You better get cracking, man," George said, taking another bite of pizza. "All of us lost our virginities at sixteen. Even Percy."

"Even Percy?" Ron was very white.

"Don't pressure him," I told them, getting up from the table. "And after tonight, I never want to hear about any of my brothers' sex lives again! As of now you're all asexual!"

•••

_From: Ginny  
Sent: Nov 1__st__, 1:45 AM  
To: Draco  
Subject: I really miss things_

_Draco,_

_I really need you right now._

_Ginny_

•••

**End Author's Note: **Sorry for not having any Hermione/Krum in this chapter. I have room, but not time seeing as it's late at night and I have to work all day tomorrow. I'm also sorry that there's only one e-mail. Don't worry, that's not going to be a trend or anything. The next chapter will have the normal amount of e-mails, but at the moment, I just can't think of what the others have to say to each other.


	9. Dearest

**Hogwarts High II**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Someone asked where Fred was during the siblings eating pizza in the kitchen scene; he was asleep in bed. And I think someone else asked if Neville and Luna were dating: Yes. Yes they are. I wanna bring them into the story more, but it's hard for some reason. …There's a lot of Ginny in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP…and a bunch of other things.

Chapter Nine  
_Dearest_

_LOL, I think I totally gave up with the song lyrics_

••• **Ginny •••**

I need to learn to take my make-up off before going to bed. My mascara and eyeliner were smudged so badly that I looked like a raccoon, and the fact that I had penciled-on whiskers only increased the resemblance. At 5 AM, it was a little late to be taking off my make-up, especially since I'd already slept in it for a few hours, but I knew that by doing so, I'd feel a lot better and maybe even manage to fall back asleep, so I turned the tap on and began splashing water onto my face. Several minutes and a cleansing facial cloth later, the make-up was gone and I looked and felt refreshed.

Sighing with contentment, I quietly walked back to my room, smiling slightly at the snores emitting from my brothers' bedrooms. My smile quickly faded when I entered my room and saw a dark figure sitting upon my bed. The figure turned towards me, a small smile forming on his face as his eyes locked upon mine.

"Ginny," he said quietly and my stomach gave a jolt as I recognized his voice.

"Draco?" I asked, immediately stepping into my bedroom and closing the door. I came closer to him, squinting, and he stood up from my bed so that I could get a better look. He was at least three inches taller since the last time I saw him, and he had filled out considerably; he wasn't overly muscled, but he was definitely leaner. And he had black, spiked hair which allowed me to see his eyes clearly; they looked uncertain and vulnerable.

"I… You… What are you doing here?" I asked him in a frantic whisper as he began to walk around my room, examining things as if he had never seen them before. Which is ridiculous seeing as he once spent a week living in my room. He turned back to me soberly.

"You said you needed me, so I came."

I was suddenly kicking myself mentally. _Stupid Ginny! Don't send e-mails when you're highly emotional! Idiots like Draco will take them seriously!_

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Draco decided to elaborate.

"I had just gotten home from taking Jenny trick or treating, and then Potter and his new girlfriend," he paused and winced apologetically at me, "came into my room, demanding I watch scary movies with them. They had caramel apples with them, so I agreed, but then they went and fell asleep fifteen minutes into the first movie! I was bored anyway, so I went to go check my mail and lo and behold, I got a message from you saying you needed me. And I thought, 'What the hell, it beats being a third wheel!'" He paused and flashed me a shy smile. "So I came."

I sat down on my bed, my mouth open, my eyes wide and my mind reeling. Draco came and sat beside me.

"So what's wrong, Weasel the fourth?" he asked softly, using my old nickname. Dawn was approaching and my room was growing lighter.

I shook my head and tried to smile despite the sting of tears forming in my eyes. Draco tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Harry's gone," I admitted finally with a sigh, my shoulders visibly relaxing as Draco's hand moved to slowly rub circles on my back. "Hermione's gone. You're gone. And Ron and Noelle are," I paused and made a disgusted face, "doing stuff."

"They're doing what?" Draco asked. "Smoking pot?"

I gave him my best 'wtf?' look. "No, they're a couple and trying like mad to get into one another's pants."  
"She's dating _Ron_?" Draco asked sharply. "That bastard, I'm going to kill him!"

"You didn't know?"

"I knew she was seeing someone else, but I didn't know who!"

Draco looked as if he was oozing into a pool of despair. "I…I think I need to lay down," he said suddenly, very softly. I got up from the bed so that he could lie down; he stared at the ceiling blankly, and I started to pace my room. Just then, there was a knock on the doors that separated my room from Ron's.

"Gin, are you okay?"

I turned and shot a frantic look at Draco.

"I shall hide under the bed," he whispered, raising a finger sagely before rolling off the bed and hiding under it. Once he was safely hidden, I jumped back into bed, pulling my comforter around me.

"I'm sleeping, Ron. Go away," I said.

Ron opened the door slightly and poked his head in. His hair was a mess and his eyes were squinty. "I heard voices," he said sleepily.

"You should probably go see a shrink, then," I told him. He made a face at me before disappearing back into his own room. For several minutes, neither Draco nor I moved; then he rolled out from under my bed and gazed forlornly up at me from his spot on the floor. I let my arm drop down over the side of my bed; my fingertips grazed his T-shirt for a moment before he brought his own hand to clasp mine.

"We're going to keep this a secret, right?" he whispered.

"Yeah," I whispered back.

He nodded, his eyes drifting down to our interlocked fingers for a moment before returning to look at me.

"Gin?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Can you get out of bed? It's just that I'm really tired. I spent all night driving here."

"Geez, you're not chivalrous at all," I said, getting out of the bed so that he could get in.

"Chivalry's dead, sugar."

••• **Tonks •••**

It was seven in the morning when Bill strolled into my apartment purposefully.

"Weasley, what the hell?" I asked him irritably, tying the sash of my housecoat more firmly. "Go home! Some of us like to sleep, you know!"

Bill suddenly turned and grabbed me by my shoulders, shaking me fiercely; his face was frantic.

"We're not being believable enough!" he exclaimed wildly. "My siblings don't think we're dating, which means that Fleur and Remus probably don't think we're dating, which means our plan is not working!"

"I grow dizzy with all this shaking," I told him, and he released his death-grip on me.

"We need to up the ante," he said seriously, his eyes pleading. "I think…I think next weekend we should go on a date…and I should spend the night."

I must have made a face of disgust because he quickly continued, holding up his hands in a pacifying manner. "We wouldn't actually _sleep_ together! We'll just…make it look like we are. Fleur will get wind of it soon enough."

I crossed my arms moodily. "And what about Remus? I can't help but feel that you're getting the better end of the deal here with this little charade, Weasley."

Bill looked apologetic.

"Well it's not like you can bring me over to wherever the hell they're hiding out and make out with me in front of him! I'm not even supposed to know that they're alive, remember?"

I blushed. I had been keeping the secret so well, until one night when I met up with Bill, and we had gotten drunk and started talking about our pathetic love lives. I had let it slip that I was hoping to make Remus fall for me, and Bill wasn't drunk enough to forget that Remus was supposed to be dead.

"Okay, how about this?" Bill started, pacing the room purposely. "Thanksgiving is in a few weeks, and I'm sure my mom would love to have you over for dinner. At some point during the night, we'll find a secluded spot and I'll…" Bill swallowed, "I'll give you a hickey. Bonus points if one of my siblings walks in on us while we're at it."

He turned and offered me a shy smile; his ears were tinged pink. I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"As much as I would _love_ to have you mark me like a demented alpha male, I fail to see how Remus will…"

"You'll visit him the next day, under the pretense of bringing some of my mom's left over cranberry sauce. Wear something with a high collar, you don't want to seem too obvious, but make sure he sees the hickey. He'll probably go mad with jealousy!" Bill's smile faltered a bit. "Should I be worried about this Remus guy? Like…he's not going to murder me in my sleep, is he?"

I laughed and shook my head.

"Remus isn't like that. He's kind of the quiet type."

"You dating a quiet type? I would have never believed that in high school!" He grinned at me as he bustled around my kitchen, making coffee. "It's settled then," he continued, pulling out a frying pan and some eggs. "With any luck we'll have Fleur and Remus by New Years!"

I grinned. "I hope so. I love you, Weasley, but kissing you is like kissing my nonexistent brother."

"Right back at ya," he replied, flashing me a smile over his shoulder.

"You have brothers," I pointed out.

"Yeah, and I don't like kissing them." He stuck his tongue out at me playfully before cracking some eggs into the frying pan.

"You're strange."

"And you smell funny."

"Shut up, I do not!"

Bill grinned at me again.

"Just shut up and make breakfast, Weasley."

••• **Hermione •••**

"HERMIONE!"

I turned and saw Victor jogging towards me, beaming. He was wearing jeans and his soccer jersey, and I had to laugh; he was such a jock.

He scooped me up in a gigantic hug when he reached me, lifting me clear off of my feet and spinning me around.

"Someone's excited about seeing an educational movie on sharks," I said as he gently set me back down on my feet.

Victor shrugged modestly. "What can I say? I have a thing for sharks and beautiful, intelligent women."

I blushed furiously, which only caused him to smile wider.

"Shall we go in?" he asked, offering his arm and indicating the IMAX theatre.

"Sure," I replied awkwardly, accepting his arm and turning toward the doors, only to stop short at who I saw standing just inside them: Gavin was in the lobby of the theatre, surrounded by his usual horde of whores.

"Oh, he would have to show up and ruin this for me!" I huffed angrily.

Victor's eyes were narrow and glaring at Gavin.

"We don't have to see it," he suggested, glancing down at me.

"But…" I protested, knowing that he had been so excited to see this movie all week.

"No, we really don't," he reiterated, taking the tickets from my hand. He glanced around for a moment before approaching a middle aged couple who appeared to be on a nightly stroll. I watched him as he offered them the tickets. They seemed surprised, but grateful, and Victor shook the man's hand before returning back to me, smiling.

"There, that's settled!" he announced brightly, throwing an arm around my shoulders and leading me away from the theatre. We crossed the busy street and entered a nearby park, walking silently along the path through the trees, his arm around my shoulders and mine around his waist.

I enjoyed being with him. The silence between us wasn't awkward, and it was nice not having to rack my brain for something to say. We walked for a little while, then Victor stopped and bought a pretzel at a snack cart and led me over to the lit fountain in the middle of the park. I sat down on a bench, and he sat very close to me, his leg brushing mine. He threw an arm around my shoulders and held the pretzel out for me. I began breaking off pieces and eating it.

"Don't you want some?" I asked once I realized that he wasn't eating any. He smiled at me and kissed the corner of my lips where some salt had gathered.

"I take that as a no," I continued, blushing a little and suddenly feeling uncomfortable. I liked Victor a lot – was attracted to him, even – but I just could not see him as my boyfriend; he wasn't Ron. Luckily for me, Victor did not seem to notice my discomfort.

"So what do you want to do next?" he asked, handing me the last bite of pretzel.

I shrugged, and he stared at me for a moment before grinning.

"I've got it," he said, standing and taking hold of my hand.

"Where're we…?" I began as he led me to a bus stop, but he help up a hand to quiet me. "It's a surprise."

We didn't talk while we rode the bus; I was lost in thought, contemplating where we were going, and Victor was probably mentally congratulating himself over being so awesome. After twenty minutes or so, the bus stopped outside of the botanical gardens: They were having a special nightly stroll through the lit up gardens.

"Victor, this is amazing!" I told him, grabbing his arm and leading him down a lighted path. He smiled at my excitement and allowed me to drag him down the path, stopping to stare at the exotic plants and random glass sculptures. After awhile, he began sneaking up behind me as I stared at something, placing his hands around my waist or on my shoulders, massaging them as he read out loud from the information plaques about the plants we were looking at.

Once, he even wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder as he pointed out a plant that was native to the country, Bulgaria.

"My family's originally from there, you know," he said, and my eyes widened in shock.

"Really?"

"Yeah, my parents moved to America shortly after they got married. I was born here, but I sometimes visit Bulgaria. It's beautiful there." He paused and pulled back slightly so that he could look at me. "You should see it sometime."

His comforting arms left me as he turned and walked a little further down the path, stopping to stare at some beautiful flower that was native to Japan.

I felt suddenly vulnerable without his arm around me, and before I even realized what I was doing, I was by his side, wrapping my arm around his waist. He flashed me his huge, gorgeous smile and his arm returned to my shoulder as he started reading about the flower. Only half-listening, I rested my head upon his shoulder.

He wasn't Ron, but he was still pretty amazing.

••• **Ginny •••**

It was only ten at night, but Draco was already asleep, curled up on the far side of my bed, his face peaceful and oddly childlike despite the hint of stubble lining his jaw. We had spent the entire day talking and playing board games. Occasionally, I snuck in food, and Draco once dashed quickly across the hall to use the bathroom unnoticed by my preoccupied family. It was fun and had a calming effect on me.

I turned the light out once I noticed that Draco had fallen asleep, and I sat in my dark room, watching the ebb and flow of the tides until a golden light appeared between the cracks of the doors that separated my room from Ron's. I got up and quietly knocked; a moment later, Ron opened the door.

"Hey," I greeted, coming into his room and closing the door behind me. "How was the movie?"

Ron made a disgusted face as he threw his jacket onto the floor and kicked off his shoes. "Dean and Seamus decided to have a Who Can Eat The Most Popcorn contest and were throwing up in the bathroom before the movie was halfway over. I bought them both a Sprite and waited for their stomachs to settle before taking them home. It sucked."

"You're a good friend, Ron," I told him, reassuringly patting him on his shoulder. He shrugged.

"What about you? What did you do today? Mom said you hardly left your room." He suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Noelle and I didn't freak you out that badly, did we?"

"Of course not," I replied, feeling my face flush. I was suddenly scared of Ron getting x-ray vision and being able to see through the doors into my room where Draco was sleeping in my bed. "You're not the first brother I walked in on. I actually have a vague memory of walking in on Charlie and Tonks back when I was really little."

Ron sputtered. "Charlie and Tonks!?" He grinned slyly. "Wow, Tonks must really like her Weasley men. First Charlie, now Bill. You think she ever got with Percy?"

"Ew, Ron, you're gross!" I said, playfully throwing a balled-up sock at him.

"I'm just saying, that's two brothers that we know of so far…I'm sure the twins wouldn't mind getting in on the action now that they're legal…"

"Seriously, Ron, stop it!" I said, although I was laughing. "This is our teacher we're talking about!"

He smiled at me before disappearing into his closet, closing the doors behind him so he could change. A few moments later, he reappeared, clad in pajama bottoms and a tank top.

"I'm glad we're ok, Gin," he told me, leaving his room and crossing the hall to the bathroom. He left the door open, so I followed.

"Me too," I replied, leaning against the doorframe. "You can be an annoying bastard sometimes, but I think deep down, I really like you as a brother."

He picked up one of my hair ties from the sink and pulled the front layers of his hair into a ponytail.

"Very sexy," I commented, smirking.

"Shut up," he replied as he washed his face.

"Ever think about getting a haircut?"

He shrugged and reached for his toothbrush. I decided to grab mine as well, seeing as I was already in the bathroom, and Ron promptly handed over the toothpaste. We brushed our teeth in silence for a few minutes, just like we used to do when we were kids. Then we both spat out the toothpaste and grinned at one another.

"Night, Gin," he said, patting my head and crossing the hall back to his bedroom.

"Going to bed so early?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Babysitting Seamus and Dean is exhausting. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he closed the door.

I was slightly disappointed. With Draco asleep and the twins working, I had hoped Ron would feel up to watching some late night TV or something, and now I was left with nothing to do.

Sighing to myself, I walked back to my room, smiling when I saw that Draco was still asleep. He had left enough space in the bed for me, and while I wasn't completely certain if that meant I could actually sleep in my own bed that night, I crawled in anyway.

He stirred a little as I got into bed, his eyes opening slightly. He smiled at me sleepily and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Night, Weasel the fourth," he whispered, and I smiled. For the first time in a long time, I felt as though things were going to be alright.

The next morning, he was gone.

••• **Harry •••**

It was two in the afternoon when Draco finally reappeared. I left my room and pushed him up against the hallway wall, my fists clenching his T-shirt. His eyes widened, first in shock and then in amusement, and I caught a whiff of a vaguely familiar floral scent. I released him quickly and took a few steps back; however, the scent refused to disappear.

"Hello, Potter," Draco greeted. "Miss me much?"

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, though I kept my voice down. As far as I knew, Larry and Susan didn't notice Draco's disappearance, and while I was pissed at him for not informing me of his whereabouts, I didn't want either of us on our foster parents' bad side.

"I was with a girl," Draco stated simply with a shrug.

"Which girl?" I asked; that scent was so familiar.

"Just a girl."

I eyed him warily. I knew that before he started dating Noelle, he had been somewhat of a playboy. He had cheated on Pansy loads of times, and I figured that with the one girl he ever seemed to love so far away, he was now reverting to his old playboy ways. Which, of course, was none of my business. I was beginning to feel really stupid for my outburst.

"Right, well, the next time you're going to be gone for more than a few hours, lemme know so I can think of a good excuse on the off chance that someone actually asks where you are."

"Will do, Potter," Draco stated cheerily, entering his room. I followed and stood in the doorway. "As a matter of fact," Draco continued, "I'll probably be gone most weekends from now on."

I raised a highly suspicious eyebrow, and Draco must have realized what I was thinking because he elaborated slightly. "I assure you that I'm just seeing a girl, and I'm not becoming a drug dealer or something. As if I could," he added under his breath, and I knew that he was thinking back to our disastrous How to be Evil training that we both failed spectacularly.

"Alright, Draco. I trust you," I said nonchalantly. Draco's face contorted slightly in what looked to be guilt. "Anyway," I continued, ignoring the look, "I was just about to take Jenny to the park. Wanna come?"

Draco looked at his full schoolbag of unfinished homework, shrugged and said, "Yeah, alright."

Twenty minutes later, we found ourselves chasing Jenny around the park, pushing her on the swings and sliding down the slides with her. After awhile, we left her in the sandbox with some other kids her age and went off to sit on a bench and catch our breaths. It was then that I felt slightly sorry for her; she was a child who spent more time with two strange foster brothers than her real parents. I glanced over at Draco, who probably had a very similar childhood to Jenny's, and wondered if he had ever wanted a younger brother or sister.

"So," Draco said suddenly, "did you and Jaclyn do anything after I left? I mean, I know you were both asleep when I left, but…maybe you woke up and realized that you were alone and…"

"No," I said rather quickly, cutting him off as a blush formed on my face. "We haven't done anything more than kiss yet. We're not serious. Not yet, anyway"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence in which we watched Jenny chase after some boy.

"I don't really know what's going on between me and this girl I'm seeing either," Draco admitted at last.

I glanced sideways at him. "Who is she?"

Draco appeared to be blushing. "Let's just call her Cho for the time being."

"Cho?"

"Yeah."

"Is she Asian?"

"Maybe."

Draco sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Listen, Potter, I just don't want to tell anyone about this relationship until I figure it out, okay?"

"Alright, alright," I said, holding up my hands. "No need to get pissy about it. Does she go to our school?"

"Potter!"

"Shutting up now."

Draco offered a slight smile before relapsing back into silence. I cleared my throat.

"What about Noelle?"

"What about Ginny?" he spat back.

Something in my chest constricted at the name, but I managed to remain cool.

"Ginny and I broke up months before I left."

Draco stared at me for a few moments as if he was sizing me up.

"Yeah, well, from what I hear, Noelle and Ron are pretty serious at the moment. Like, a hop, skip and a jump away from sleeping together." Draco looked miserable.

"WHAT?" I asked.

"You heard me."

I blinked in shock. "I seriously need to keep up with my e-mails."

"Yeah, you and me both."

Draco rose. "Hey, Jenny! How about we get some ice cream?"

Jenny ran over to Draco in a squeal of joy, and that was the end of our discussion.

••• **Ginny •••**

I was rummaging around in my locker for my compass when Noelle tapped me on my shoulder. She looked a mess: Her hair was a bit oily and slicked back in a ponytail, she had circles under her eyes and was dressed in track pants and a hoodie.

"Noelle…hi," I greeted, taking in her disheveled appearance.

"Ginny, I'm really sorry about the other night," she apologized, clutching her books to her chest.

I waved her off and stuck my head back into my locker, continuing my search for my elusive compass. "Don't worry about it," I said while I searched. "Like I told Ron, he's not the first brother I walked in on."

"Is that the only thing that upset you? Cuz he's your brother?"

"Huh?" I asked, pulling my head out of my locker and gracing her with a confused look. I had found my protractor, but no sign of my compass and I only had five minutes before geometry.

"It's just…you're Hermione's best friend, and…well…"

I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't bother me," I assured her, returning to my locker. "If it did, I would have said something earlier. Besides, it sounds like Hermione has moved on, so why shouldn't Ron? Dammit, you stupid compass, reveal yourself!"

Noelle unzipped her pencil bag and handed me her compass. "Here," she said. She looked slightly better.

"Thanks," I replied, taking the compass from her and stuffing it into my own pencil bag. I paused and bit my lip. "Does Hermione know about you and Ron?"

Noelle blushed and shrugged.

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "You should probably tell her. She won't be completely happy about it, but I also don't think she'll be mad. Anyway," I gave Noelle a quick hug, "I gotta get to class. Thanks again for the compass."

"You're welcome. Hey," Noelle called after my retreating back, and I turned and looked at her. "You wanna do something this weekend? Have a girl's night or something?"

I could feel myself blush furiously in guilt. "Um, this weekend isn't really good for me. Some other time though. Later, Noelle."

And with that, I turned and walked to my geometry class.

•••

_From: Harry  
Sent: Nov 5__th__, 8:05 PM  
To: Ronniekins  
Subject: So Draco tells me…_

_That you and Noelle are not only a couple, but pretty serious at the moment! Half of me is completely shocked by this news, while the other half of me is angry at myself for not keeping up on e-mails, while another half of me is cheering you on! That's too many halves, I know. _

_I don't want to know the details on how or why you two hooked up, but does Hermione know? She seemed to have something going on with Victor Krum, THE SOCCER PLAYER, when Draco and I visited her a few weeks back. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that he and I played against her school in some soccer tournament._

_Whatever happened to Lavender? Wait, don't tell me; I probably don't want to know._

_Well while we're filling each other in on our lives, I'll tell you that I now have something going on with Jaclyn. Remember, that blonde girl that was annoying and always hanging around me? Don't ask; I don't know how it got started either._

_Ginny already knows about it._

_I'm currently failing my Right and Proper class. I apparently have no manners whatsoever. _

_And that is my life. Now I must go steal my remote back from Draco._

_Harry_

•

_From: The girl you slept with the other night  
Sent: Nov 6__th__, 4:42 PM  
To: The idiot who drives across states to answer e-mails  
Subject: This weekend_

_Draco,_

_What's up for this weekend? Are you coming back?_

_Ginny_

•

_From: You make it sound like I got lucky  
Sent: Nov 6__th__, 9:23 PM  
To: My dearest Ginny  
Subject: The weekend_

_Ginny,_

_I'm totally there. Also, tell Potter to let me have his remote._

_Draco_

•

_From: Your other red-headed friend  
Sent: Nov 8__th__, 2:45 PM  
To: Herm  
Subject: Ron_

_Hermione,_

_I just feel like I should tell you that…Ron's seeing someone._

_Noelle_

•

_From: Herm  
Sent: Nov 8__th__, 3:26 PM  
To: Noelle  
Subject: Ron_

_Noelle,_

_Thanks, but I already know about him and Lavender._

_Hermione_

•

_From: Noelle  
Sent: Nov 8__th__, 4:37 PM  
To: Hermione  
Subject: Ron sans Lavender_

_Hermione,_

_Those two never really dated. Her dad scared him off. He's seeing someone else now._

_Noelle_

•

_From: Hermione  
Sent: Nov 8__th__, 4:43 PM  
To: Noelle  
Subject: Ron sans Lavender plus someone else_

_Noelle,_

_Well, thanks again, but he's entitled to see whomever he likes. I do wish he would e-mail me every now and then though. Especially since it now appears as though we've both moved on._

_Hermione_

•

_From: Jenny likes me better; she told me so  
Sent: Nov 11__th__, 11:23 AM  
To: Jenny's other foster brother  
Subject: Dammit, Potter, let me have the remote_

_Potter,_

_If you don't let me have your remote, I will die from exhaustion from getting up from bed to change the channel manually. Do you really want that on your conscience?_

_Draco the Great_

•

_From: Jenny's favorite foster brother  
Sent: Nov 11__th__, 11:41 AM  
To: Draco the Lame  
Subject: The Great Remote War_

_Malfoy,_

_Maybe I do._

_Harry_

•

_From: Your best friend  
Sent: Almost a week since my first e-mail  
To: Ron, the techno-impaired idiot  
Subject: Dude…_

_Ron, do you ever check your e-mail? Seriously._

_Harry_

•••

**End Author's Note:** Okay, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I start my senior year of university tomorrow, and the next couple of months will be filled with classes, papers, exams, finding a new job (or thinking about it, at least), studying for my GRE, applying to grad schools and other busy, boring stuff. I'm also working on two new fic projects, one of which I'm 7 chapters into! So what I'm trying to say is that come tomorrow, there's the possibility that I won't have much time to write this fic. This does **not** mean that I'm giving up on it. I fully intend to finish this fic. All I'm saying is that there might be long waits between chapters. Which you guys are used to anyway.

The good news is that, because I love you all so much, I already have Chapter 10 written and it will be posted in two weeks. After that, there may be a wait, but Chapter 10 (which, is long and full of hilarity) will be up in two weeks. Nice, long reviews might inspire me to write Chapter 11 sooner though.

In completely unrelated news, I saw _Superbad_ today and it was Super Good. Ha ha, I crack myself up.


	10. Cold Feet

**Hogwarts High II**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Okay, I'm adding this chapter a few days early because 1) I feel like it, and 2) a reviewer named Jimmy keeps bombarding my inbox with reviews, and that makes me happy, and when I'm happy, I update. I haven't started on chapter 11 yet, but I'm really looking forward to the next couple of chapters…like seriously.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP… Certain songs …

Chapter Ten  
Cold Feet

••• **Ginny •••**

"So, Draco…" I started, and Draco flopped over from his back to his side to look at me, adjusting the covers and propping his hand under the pillow as he did so. "Thursday's Thanksgiving. What are you and Harry doing for it?"

"I think our foster parents are taking us to some of their extended family. You?" Draco reached out and began playing with a lock of my hair. It was strange how normal this had all become, lying in bed late at night with Draco, making small talk. We hadn't kissed or done anything to suggest that we were a couple yet; in a way, it felt like we were just two people staying together to assuage one another's pain. There were times when I really wished we were more though. Times when I wanted nothing more than for him to hold me closer, to lean down and kiss me. There were times when I was really frustrated over our complicated relationship.

"I think my brother, Bill, invited my history teacher over for dinner," I replied, taking his hand from my hair and placing it on the mattress.

Draco's eye brows raised in genuine surprise. "Binns finally retired?"

"Kicking and screaming, yeah," I replied, and Draco smiled. "Our new teacher's pretty cool though," I continued. "We call her Tonks."

Draco suddenly gave a little jerk as if he had just been shocked. "Is Tonks her last name?"

"Yeah."

"Feisty girl? Unusual colored hair?"

"Yeah. Do you know her?"

"She's my cousin."

It was my turn to jerk. "What? I didn't know you had cousins!"

"From my mom's side, yeah. Tonks and I know about each other, but…our families didn't really get along."

"Oh…I see." I laid there for a minute in thought. "Tonks is distantly related to us. Very distantly obviously, otherwise she and my brother wouldn't be dating. So distant, I guess she doesn't even count as family."

"I should hope not," Draco said, smirking. "If our families were related, it would make this very awkward."

"Make what awkward?"

"This."

"What this?" I pressed.

"Us."

"And what are we exactly?"

Draco paused and gazed at me, his eyes round and vulnerable. "We're Ginny and Draco," he stated simply.

I sighed and rolled over, facing away from him. "Yeah. Just Ginny and Draco," I spat out in a hurt whisper. For a few, lonely moments, time seemed to stand still; then Draco moved, propping himself on his elbow as he brought a hand to pull my hair away from my face and to place a soft kiss on my cheek. He then settled back down onto the pillow, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer.

I smiled; it was a start.

••• **Harry •••**

"Welcome to the dark side," Draco said into my ear as we entered what appeared to be the biggest mansion in the world. I was so awestruck by its splendor that I couldn't verbally agree with Draco, so I merely nodded my head. We were a long way from Hogwarts Hills and the Weasley house.

"Susan, darling!" a middle-aged and heavily botoxed woman exclaimed upon our entrance. She placed her bony hands firmly on Susan's shoulders as the two women bumped cheeks with one another. "And Larry, it's so good to see you," the botox lady continued, breaking away from Susan to embrace Larry; I noticed that she actually kissed his cheek, letting her lips linger there for a little longer than necessary. Draco and I simultaneously took a step back, as if we wanted to blend in with the coat rack. Sadly for us, the botox lady saw us.

"And these must be your boys," she said, taking a step towards us and offering us a forced smile. Her eyes roved up and down our frames critically. "Charming."

She turned abruptly and began walking down the foyer, her heels clicking as she did so.

"The rest of the family is in the living room or kitchen or gaming room or God only knows where else," she called over her shoulder, not bothering to glance at us. "Make yourselves feel at home."

Larry came between me and Draco, throwing his arms around our shoulders. "Well, boys, what do you say we find some cold beverages and the football game?" He didn't wait for our replies, but merely strolled forward, pulling us along. Draco and I exchanged disgruntled glances seeing as neither of us were big football fans and didn't really want to spend time bonding with Larry either.

Larry led us to some stairs that ended up in what we supposed was the gaming room; it was populated by a bunch of males situated around a gigantic plasma TV. There was a loud roar of triumph as some team scored a touchdown.

Larry clapped us both on the shoulder and went to the bar, helping himself to a beer before joining a group of men on the couch. Unsure of what else to do, Draco and I poked around the bar in search of a drink that didn't contain alcohol.

"Surely they must have some soda or bottled water or orange juice or something!" I exclaimed in a harsh whisper as I searched the mini fridge.

"I dunno, man," Draco said behind me. "I told you we're on the dark side now. The adults are going to be too full on themselves to notice us."

I straightened and looked at him. "That's horrible."

He shrugged and reached past me for a beer. "That's how I managed to drunkenly chat up inanimate objects at fourteen." He popped the lid off the bottle and took a drink. "Come on," he coaxed when he realized that I was still standing still. "They won't care."

Sighing and figuring that no one would get upset with one beer, I grabbed one of my own and opened it. Draco and I meandered over to the group of men by the TV, and Draco was right: no one cared that we were drinking. As a matter of fact, no one seemed to realize that we existed. They didn't make room for us, and left us standing on the outskirts, feeling highly out of place.

There was another gigantic roar of approval as one football player tackled another.

"I think I'm going to need another drink," Draco mumbled from the side of his mouth, and I couldn't have agreed more.

By the time we were called up for dinner, Draco and I had drunk enough that we were finding it a tad bit difficult to focus, and the ground under us didn't seem very stable. We tried so hard to walk straight and appear sober, that we probably looked really suspicious. Luckily, the other men filed ahead of us, and we were the last in the kitchen, loading our plates with food in the hope that it would sober us up some.

The botox lady was the only one in the kitchen with us, and she glared at us over her glass of wine.

"Your parents are dead, yes?" She asked it so abruptly that it took a moment for our sluggish brains to comprehend it.

I graced her with an indifferent look before nodding and returning to scooping green beans onto my plate. Draco, however, slowly set his plate and utensils down, as if he didn't trust himself to be able to hold them anymore.

"My mom is," he replied in a very weak, hollow voice. I glanced at him, momentarily acute as if all the alcohol had drained from my body. My parents died when I was young; I grew up not being with them, so the question 'Are your parents dead?' was as normal to me as 'Do you like peas?' Draco, however, just lost his mom. Even though we both doubted that she, or Sirius, or Remus were dead, there was still the possibility…

Draco shook himself suddenly, as if coming out of a trance. "My dad's still alive, though," he said in a much stronger, albeit slightly angry voice.

Botox lady raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips. "And you're not worried that your dad will steal your millions?"

"What millions?" Draco asked, knitting his brow in confusion. I also looked at the lady questioningly. Draco had a grand total of fifty eight dollars and sixty three cents, which he kept in a glass jar on his dresser.

"Interesting," the botox lady said with a smirk before turning on her heel to enter the dining room. Once she was gone, Draco looked at me in all seriousness.

"I think I need more booze."

••• **Tonks •••**

Thanksgiving dinner was slightly awkward.

First of all, Ron had invited Noelle, so I was sitting at the table with not two, but three of my students. To make matters worse, Ron and Ginny would continually glance at me, then each other and proceed to giggle over some unspoken joke. Noelle, who sat between them, merely gave the two of them questioning looks before sending an apologetic one at me.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Charlie, my high school sweetheart, was also present. He and I were able to talk normally to one another, although the tension was thick, particularly when he started sending Bill hurt, pissed-off glances across the table.

And then, of course, there were the twins, who were delighting in all of the awkward tension and only made things worse by commenting on how much I must like Weasley men (at which point both Ron and Ginny snorted into their mashed potatoes), and then added that they were now legal should I ever get bored of Bill (Ron and Ginny both erupted into insane laughter at this, pounding the table with their hands and nearly falling off of their chairs; Noelle looked like she didn't know what to do with the two of them).

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, bless their souls, tried to calm down their children, but to no avail.

It's an understatement to say that I was highly relieved when Bill pulled me into the darkened, deserted family office after dinner, closing the sliding door behind him so that only a sliver of light shown in. This, along with the darkened window, gave us enough light to see.

I walked over to the window, running my hands through my hair and sighing deeply.

"There, there, it's over now," Bill said, coming up behind me and placing his hands upon my shoulders, gently massaging them.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Not until I leave, it isn't," I replied quietly.

Bill chuckled, his breath tickling my neck; I was suddenly aware of how close he was.

"You don't think Charlie's mad at us, do you?" I asked. Charlie had left directly after dessert.

"Nah," Bill replied, his hands leaving my shoulders, running down my arms and encircling my waist, pulling me closer to him. His lips lightly brushed the spot where my neck and shoulder met. "Still thinking about Charlie?" he whispered into my ear, nibbling lightly.

"You could make me forget about him," I whispered back, leaning into his embrace as his lips trailed down my neck.

I hitched in my breath as his teeth grazed my skin.

"Sorry," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss where he had nipped me.

"Don't be," I replied, bringing a hand back to bury it in his hair as he continued to nibble along my neck.

His kisses grew more fervent as the moments went on, and I was sure that a hickey had formed (I had been neglecting my iron intake all week just to ascertain one would form easily) but didn't bother to stop him. Our breathing came in hitched gasps, and our hold on one another tightened.

He pulled away, but only enough for him to turn me so that I faced him, pressing me up against the cool window, such a contrast to his own body heat. Our eyes sought one another and were filled with a combination of lust as well as an 'oh shit' realization that we were crossing some line. And then he kissed me. Really kissed me, not some forced show to bring back some girl.

The kiss started passionate and escalated from there until, in one swift movement, Bill had picked me up, and I found myself wrapping my legs around him. He broke our kiss, his lips trailing down my neck once more to the spot where my hickey was surely forming. I could feel him smiling into my neck as he nipped me again.

"Oh fuck!"

Bill set me down and broke apart so quickly that I was slightly disoriented. Once I gained my bearings, however, I noticed that we were no longer alone in the office: Ron and Noelle were standing hand in hand in the doorway. Noelle was bright red and staring pointedly at the ceiling. Ron, on the other hand, was staring at us, grinning madly.

"We must think alike, Bill," Ron commented, swinging his interlocked hand with Noelle's. Noelle, unable to take the embarrassment, muttered an apology and left. Ron grinned at us for another moment, gave Bill two encouraging thumbs up and left as well. I let out the breath I had been holding.

Bill sighed. "At least it wasn't Ginny."

"Or the twins," I agreed.

He smiled and scratched his forehead while gazing down at his shoes. I dipped my head, trying to make eye contact.

"You don't kiss your brothers like that, Weasley," I said through a smirk.

He glanced up and grinned slyly at me. "I don't kiss my brothers at all," he said, wrapping his arms around me yet again. And then I was pressed up against the window for the second time that night.

••• **Jaclyn •••**

I was already a bit irritated when I found the boys. I had thought at the beginning of the evening that they would find me in the kiddie room with the rest of the children; however, I learned at dinner that they were in the gaming room with the rest of the men, getting wasted. Luckily they had enough sense to stumble outside for fresh air once they began seeing double; if they hadn't, the entire family would have heard their horrible singing.

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! OF THE WORLD!"

I groaned and covered my eyes with my hand. "Guys, I really don't need this right now," I told them.

Harry turned around at the sound of my voice, staggered, then grinned stupidly.

"Jaclyn!" he said, stumbling over to me and placing a wet, sloppy kiss on the corner of my mouth.

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!" Draco continued to sing, his arms over his head. He turned and noticed that Harry was no longer with him, so he altered his lyrics. "I AM THE CHAMPION. I AM THE CHAMPION. NO TIME FOR LOSERS, CUZ I AM THE CHAMPION!"

Meanwhile, Harry slobbered all over my left ear.

"How much did you guys drink?" I asked, as I pushed Harry away. He tripped over his own feet and fell onto the grass. Draco glanced down at him and changed songs.

"HARRY GETS KNOCKED DOWN! BUT HE GETS UP AGAIN! YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO KEEP HIM DOWN!"

"Just," Harry said, blinking up at me from his spot on the ground as he tried to answer my question. He began counting on his fingers, only to get confused and having to start over.

"HE DRINKS A WHISKEY DRINK, HE DRINKS A VODKA DRINK. HE DRINKS A LAGER DRINK, HE DRINKS A CIDER DRINK."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. As annoying as they were, they were also amusing.

"I can't count anymore, Jacky," Harry mumbled.

"DANNY BOOYYY! DANNY BOOYYY! DANNY BOOOYYYY!"

I sighed and shook my head, rummaging around in my purse for my keys. "Come on," I said as I hoisted Harry up from his spot on the ground. "Let's get you guys home."

"HARRY GETS KNOCKED DOWN! BUT HE GETS UP AGAIN!"

••• **Remus •••**

I came down to breakfast and found Narcissa with a streak of purple in her hair.

"No," I told her simply, pouring myself a cup of coffee and wandering into the living room.

"No, what?" she asked, following me like an annoying puppy.

"Just no," I reiterated.

Narcissa looked as though she was going to protest, but was prohibited by the doorbell ringing. She opened the front door to reveal another purple-streaked blonde; albeit a younger version who was holding what appeared to be a bowl of cranberry sauce. Tonks' eyes widened and a smile slowly formed as she gazed at the older woman.

"Nice look, Aunt Narcissa!" she commented.

"Oh thank you dear!" Narcissa said, tossing her head so that her hair flew dramatically over her shoulder. "I got rather bored the other day and…" but Narcissa stopped, her voice contorting into something that sounded much like a walrus as she gasped and pulled at the scarf around Tonks' neck. "Oh my…" she said once she had successfully wrestled the scarf away from her niece, revealing a mass of bruises upon Tonks' neck. Each one sent a jolt to my stomach, much like a punch.

"Bill must really like you blonde," Narcissa commented unhelpfully, causing Tonks to blush furiously.

"That's really none of your business, Narcissa," Tonks commented, entering the house. "I just came by with some of Molly Weasley's left over cranberry sauce," Tonks continued. Her voice sounded normal, but it was plain to see that Tonks was uncomfortable; she clumsily bumped into the table before setting the bowl down upon it. "I better go now," she said, not making eye contact with either Narcissa or myself. "Lots of papers to grade."

She marched forward, yanking her scarf back from Narcissa. "Goodbye, Narcissa. I'm sorry, Remus." Tonks gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth at the words. Her eyes frantically searched the room before locking onto my own, and for a split second, I thought she was going to start crying, but she merely ran away.

"Well," Narcissa said conversationally as she closed the door. "That was…unexpected."

My stomach was churning angrily, and I had never felt more frustrated in my life. With two strides, I was in front of Narcissa. She gasped slightly as I leaned down and kissed her.

"I don't love you," I told her simply once I had broken the kiss.

"Well I don't exactly love you either," she stated, her hand on her hip.

"As long as we have that cleared up," I said, grabbing her hand and leading her down the hall to the bedroom.

Sirius passed us on the way. He took one look at us before standing aside and shouting, "I'll be in the backyard. Keep it down; I don't want to be traumatized!" at our backs. We slammed the door in his face.

••• **Harry •••**

My first conscious thought was that my head hurt. My second conscious thought was that I was never going to drink again. And my third conscious thought was that someone was in bed with me.

I opened my eyes and found Draco's sleeping face a mere few centimeters away.

"AHHH!" I screamed, sitting up in bed rather abruptly and ignoring the spasm of pain that that movement caused.

"Potter, shut the fuck up! For the love of…" Draco mumbled, burying his face into the pillow. It was then that I realized that we were only partially clothed and in a pink room.

"What the hell did we do last night?" I asked him, checking under the covers to make sure that we were both still wearing pants. We were, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have a vague recollection of football and singing," Draco answered sleepily.

"We neither play football nor sing," I told him. Draco looked at me as if I was stupid.

"People do a lot of things they don't normally do when they're drunk," he explained.

"Speaking of which," Jaclyn said, suddenly entering the room, which I realized must have been hers. She was carrying two glasses of water and a box of painkillers. She quirked an eyebrow at Draco. "Should I tell him what else he did last night?"

"Please don't," I mumbled, popping a painkiller and drinking some of the water. Draco, however, looked confused.

"What else did he do last night? I can't remember anything past the singing."

"You two had a moment," Jaclyn beamed.

Draco and I gazed at each other in horror.

"A moment?" I asked, scared to know what the answer was.

"Yep. You guys were half passed out on each other in the backseat while I drove you here, and you were going on about being brothers, and saying things like, 'I love you, man!' and I think some tears were shed."

I immediately kicked Draco out of bed. He fell to the floor with a loud thump and a muffled curse. Jaclyn rolled her eyes and helped him up.

"There're fresh towels in the bathroom, Draco," she said, leading him into her adjoining bathroom. "You can take a shower first." Draco scowled at me as he closed the bathroom door, and Jaclyn took his place in bed, resting her chin upon my chest.

"Why did you two get wasted last night?" she asked.

"I honestly don't even remember," I mumbled, rubbing an eye with the palm of my hand. "But I've never been that drunk before in my life."

A worried look passed over Jaclyn's features as she placed a soft kiss on my chest. I hitched in my breath slightly at the touch of her lips upon my chest, wishing she would do it again.

"HARRY KNOCKS ME DOWN, BUT I GET UP AGAIN!"

The moment was ruined by Draco singing in the shower. Jaclyn immediately launched into giggles, burying her face in my chest as I sent a questioning glance at the bathroom.

"Someone should tell him that _Tubthumping_ is so ten years ago."

••• **Ginny •••**

"So that's why they're called imaginary numbers; they don't exist."

McGonagall turned away from the board and smiled benevolently upon us as if she felt she had just done us a great favor by informing us of the horror that are known as imaginary numbers. And in a way, she had; I concluded that math was bogus. Too damn bad the rest of the world doesn't agree with me.

"Listen, McGoogles," came a voice to my right, and I looked to see Ron addressing McGonagall, waving his pen for emphasis. "I love you, but sometimes I think you're on crack."

There was a muffled laughter throughout the class, and McGonagall graced my brother with a look that I have come to known as the Ron Has Said Something Silly look.

"I take it you didn't understand the lesson, Mr. Weasley," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No, I got it. Well, I think I got it. We'll find out tomorrow, I suppose. I just think math is crack. Not in the sense that you get addicted to it, but in the sense that it's bad for you."

McGonagall rolled her eyes again.

"I'm assigning numbers one through twenty for homework," McGonagall explained. "Due tomorrow," she added, casting a furtive look at Seamus, who groaned audibly as the rest of us gathered our stuff and meandered out of the classroom.

"Ron! …Ginny!" Parvati practically launched at us as we left the classroom; it appeared as though she had been waiting outside in the hall for the class to get out. "I didn't know you were taking Algebra II?" she asked me, glancing past Ron as we walked down the hall together.

"Yeah, the show off's doubling up on her math classes this year," Ron answered for me, and I sent him a disgruntled stare.

"Cool," Parvati complimented distractedly. "Anyway, I have big news!"

"It's chicken nugget day in the cafeteria?" Ron asked hopefully.

"No," Parvati replied, giving him an odd look. "Hogwarts is totally going to have a winter formal!" She practically shrieked it, she was so excited. Ron and I continued walking like normal. "Well? Aren't you excited?" she asked, her face dropping.

"I don't like dances," Ron replied.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I'll go either," I replied, thinking about how I wouldn't be able to bring Draco.

"Why not? Ginny you have to go!" Parvati grabbed my arm frantically.

Ron stopped walking and glanced somberly at me. "Yeah, Gin, I thought you liked dances."

"It's just that…" I blushed, not knowing what to say, "I…I don't have a dress," I sputtered quickly.

Parvati immediately looked embarrassed, and Ron looked almost as though his heart was broken. I blushed more furiously and glanced down at my feet.

"So, yeah…" I rambled, taking a few steps back from them. "I don't think I'll be going." I quickly turned and walked away, not allowing myself to look at either of them in fear of them being able to see through my lie.

••• **Fred •••**

"I need a job!"

I glanced up from the register to see my dear younger brother, Ron, staring at me in almost a panic.

"Okaaay," I said, confused.

Ron hastily ran a hand through his hair.

"So when do I start?" he asked.

"Oh! You want a job here!" I said loudly.

"What's going on?" George asked, coming up to us, his eyes glancing between the two of us.

"Ronnie wants a job," I explained and George grinned.

"Well I guess we could give him an application," George said, gracing Ron with a smirk. "But he'll have to go through an interview like everyone else."

"You don't understand!" Ron said frantically. He leaned in closer, dropping his voice to almost a whisper. "Hogwarts is having a winter formal, and Ginny can't afford a dress for it."

Both George and I gasped in horror. Our little sister unable to go to the dance? NEVER! George immediately whipped out his check book.

"Hey, this was my idea!" Ron said indignantly, glaring at George.

George sighed. "Alright, the three of us will work together," he consented. "You're hired, Ron. However!" George reached under the counter and pulled out a cup. "We do require a drug test first."

Ron looked at the cup. Then at us. "You two are bastards." He grabbed the cup and headed towards the bathroom.

"If we find any illicit drugs in your pee, Ron, we're totally telling Mom and Dad!" I yelled after him.

He gave me the finger.

••• **Hermione •••**

Victor was away for over a week due to the soccer team having to go to state. During that week, I was entirely alone. No one talked to me. No one even came near me. I felt sick as longing and loneliness welled up in the pit of my stomach, churning over and over again. I wanted nothing more than to have Victor back. And when he showed up on my doorstep that weekend, smiling happily at me, I couldn't help but throw myself into his arms, burying my face in his jersey. My intense pain lessened to a dull ache.

••• **Noelle •••**

Ron climbed through my window late one night. He was wearing a red Weasels' shirt and looked exhausted.

"Hey," I greeted him softly as he came and plopped down in bed with me, resting his head on my stomach. "You're working with your brothers now?"

Ron nodded against my stomach. "Ginny doesn't have a dress for the winter formal," he explained quietly. "So the twins and I are working to buy her one."

"That's sweet, Ron," I told him, running a hand through his hair.

"We need your help though," he continued, gazing up at me with large, pleading eyes.

"I'll do anything you guys need," I said, and he smiled at me.

"We're going to buy the dress, but we don't…I mean…we're guys…we don't really know…"

"You want me to pick out the dress?" I finished for him. He nodded.

"Could you?"

"I think I have a pretty good idea of what Ginny likes," I admitted. "And I do know what size she is. It shouldn't be a problem at all."

Ron smiled, a gigantic sigh escaping his lips. "I love you," he breathed, burying his face tiredly into my stomach.

For a minute neither of us breathed as we both were caught off guard by his words, wondering whether or not he really meant them. After a bit, he glanced up at me, his blue eyes locking with mine intensely. His gaze didn't waver as he kissed the inch of skin showing between my shirt and my jeans. Then he smirked and got up from the bed, climbing back out of the window, the question and the promise lingering heavy in the air behind him.

•••

_From: Mione  
Sent: Nov 27__th__, 2:34 PM  
To: Ron  
Subject: We haven't actually talked in awhile_

_Ron, _

_I've been waiting and waiting for an e-mail from you ever since I told you about liking another guy, and now it's painfully obvious that you're either very upset with me or else ignoring your inbox, which you are prone to do. Either way, I thought I'd write you again._

_I'm currently dating Victor Krum. Yes, the guy on your soccer poster. We're not serious at all yet. Truth be told, I miss you too much to really be serious in a relationship. I probably shouldn't mention that since you're obviously in one from what I hear, but I just wanted you to know that. _

_School's fantastic. Well, my classes are at least; although I have a feeling that I'm not getting that much better of an education than what I would at Hogwarts High. In any case, school's going good, and I'm gearing up to take my ACT and SAT in the Spring. Yes, Ron we have those this year._

_Harry, Draco, Noelle and Ginny keep up regularly with me, but give the twins my love. I've got to go now. _

_Hermione_

•

_From: You love us! You really, really love us!  
Sent: Nov 29__th__, 11:23 PM  
To: The girl who loves us  
Subject: Your loves_

_Mione, _

_We always knew you had a thing for us. Why don't you come back to Hogwarts Hills so we can show you a good time?_

_The Twins_

•

_From: That's Hermione to you guys  
Sent: Nov 30__th__, 2:34 PM  
To: The guys who apparently hit on anything that moves  
Subject: What the…?_

_Fred and George,_

_Did you guys go through Ron's e-mail?_

_Hermione_

•

_From: At least we don't chat up inanimate objects like Draco  
Sent: Nov 30__th__, 3:45 PM  
To: Miss Granger  
Subject: Well…_

_Granger,_

_Somebody's got to do it. God knows Ron probably forgot he even has an e-mail account._

_We know you love us_

•••

**End Author's Note:** Not many e-mails again in this chapter. That wasn't intentional; I just, once again, couldn't think of what the others wanted to say. And I thought the banter between the twins and Hermione was cute and didn't want to ruin it with something else.

So, yeah, Remus and Narcissa came out of nowhere. But I stand by it. Some might claim, "OMG, REMUS IS OUT OF CHARCTER!" but we know from book 7 (btw, what did you guys think of it?) that he sometimes does things rashly when he's upset. And if you still are upset about it, then why are you still reading this series, because seriously, all the characters are effed up. Like, JK would probably be slightly sick from reading this fic.

I really wish chapter 11 was already done. And chapter 12. Just because I think that they'll really rock peoples' socks. It's late and I need to go to bed.

Does anyone else remember the Tubthumping song? It was huge back when I was like…12.

Oh, and I just wanted to clarify exactly where Draco and Harry live. Actually, I don't know exactly where they live. The group home was an hour or two from Hogwarts Hills, but then Susan and Larry live a few hours further from that. I picture a state line somewhere in there, but I'm not sure which. I guess the most reasonable thing would be to put them eastward due to them actually going to Colorado to play in a soccer game. I once knew a girl in high school who went all the way to Hawaii to play a softball game... ANYWAY, the point I'm getting at here is that I think someone brought up the whole, "If Draco can drive all that way to see Ginny, why can't Harry?" The answer? Because Harry isn't crazy like Draco is. Okay, shutting up now.


	11. Publish My Love

**Hogwarts High II**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Anyone ever read Shakespeare's _Richard III_? Boring play. And I'm a fan of Shakespeare too. I just spent the past hour skimming the first three Acts and…yeah…I can't continue it at the moment, so I thought I'd write. I wasn't actually planning on starting this chapter so soon; I wanted to get ahead in my homework before I did, but I have gotten some really nice reviews, and…well…I guess I like you guys too much. Oh, and Lost But Found…I think you gave me the longest review in history! It's huge! And it was actually your massive review that made me decide to neglect my homework somewhat this weekend and write this. So everyone thank Lost But Found!

**Another Author's Note:** I've been wondering for awhile now whether or not I should up the rating of this fic. Movies automatically get an R rating if they have the F word in them, and this fic has the F word at least once per chapter, I think. Granted, HHI also had a few F words thrown about and no one has ever complained about them to me, so they can't be all that offensive. Plus, anyone who has gone to high school has heard the F word at least once per day, if not more. But it's not only the F words (which, like I said, don't seem to offend anyone), but now that sex has finally come into the picture (although it's not explicit), I just really wonder about whether or not I'd be safer with a higher rating. A part of me feels as though the T rating is fine, but another part of me worries that someone will read this fic and be offended by more than just OOC characters. So…any comments about what I should do with that? Ponder it while you read the chapter, and get back to me later.

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns most of the characters…I also don't own many other things…like Power Rangers…and the song Zoot Suit Riot.

Chapter Ten  
_Publish My Love_

••• **Bill •••**

"I don't want to know," I said hollowly as I stared at the sight in front of me. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving and I had just gotten off of work when my cell phone rang and a frantic Ron ordered me to meet him at the mall. Thinking something was wrong, I quickly sped over and found Ron, the twins and Noelle in the juniors section of some department store. Both twins were clad in dresses and appeared to be arguing ardently with Noelle; Ron merely watched this exchange, his face contorted between horror and amusement.

Fred, who was dressed in a low cut, burgundy dress, immediately looked at me.

"Bill, look at this!" he demanded, pointing to his exposed chest. "Look how effing low cut this dress is!" he continued. "You can see my nipples if I bend over!" And to prove his point, he bent over.

"For the last time, Fred," Noelle huffed exasperatedly, grabbing a hold of Fred's shoulder and forcing him to stand upright before his exposed nipples scared some small, impressionable child. "The reason why the dress appears so low cut on you is because you have NO BOOBS!"

Fred blushed and crossed his arms over his chest as if shielding his nonexistent boobs.

"Well, okay," George piped up angrily, "so we have no boobs. That still doesn't change the fact that this dress is WAY TOO SHORT!" He pointed to the dress that he was wearing: a short, one shouldered, emerald green thing. "You can see my boxers when I bend over!" He also bent over to prove his point, and I caught a glimpse of his Power Ranger boxers before I closed my eyes and shook my head, willing it all to be just a bad dream.

"You're too tall to be wearing that dress, George!" Noelle explained. "Of course it's short on you!"

Both twins suddenly glared at me.

"What do you think, Bill?" Fred asked. "Would you let Ginny wear these things?"

I blinked stupidly for a moment as I caught on to what was going on.

"Oh, these dresses are for Ginny!" I exclaimed loudly, relief flooding my chest. "I thought that maybe you two have chosen an alternate lifestyle that I needed to be supportive of or something!"

Fred and George's jaws dropped in shock and Ron laughed.

"Good one, Bill," Ron commented. The twins looked as though they were contemplating my death.

"I dunno," I said at once, glancing at the dresses my brothers were wearing and scratching the back of my neck. "I think Ginny would look cute in those," I admitted. The twins opened their mouths to protest. "But maybe we could find something else?" I asked, giving Noelle a pleading look.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, biting her lip in concentration as Ron and I stared at her and the twins fumed.

"Well, I did find another dress that would look fantastic on Ginny," she admitted. "But it's a bit pricey," she added, blushing slightly.

Fred and George immediately pulled out their credit cards. "If it's modest, we don't care what it costs!" Fred announced, brandishing his credit card in front of Noelle's face.

She rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I'll go find one in my size and put it on to give you guys some idea of how it'll look on Ginny," Noelle continued, turning on her heel and disappearing among the racks.

"So why are you guys buying Ginny a dress?" I asked Ron, who appeared to be the sanest, and therefore the most likely to give me a straight answer.

"Winter formal," he replied simply, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Ginny doesn't have a dress for it and thinks she can't go. Broke our hearts, so we're buying her one as a joint Chistmas present. Who are you calling?"

Ron gave me a questioning glance as I whipped out my cell phone, tears forming in my eyes at my baby sister's predicament. I waved Ron off impatiently as I listened to the phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Charlie! It's Bill. Our baby sister doesn't have a dress for the school dance!"

"WHAT!?"

"I KNOW! So the twins, Ron and I are pitching in to buy her one for Christmas. You want to contribute?"

"HELL YES! GINNY MUST GO TO THE DANCE! HER LITTLE HEART CANNOT BE BROKEN, I WON'T STAND FOR IT!"

"Great, I'll let you know how much you owe after we buy the dress."

"Should I call Percy?"

"Yeah, he'll probably want to be in on it. Tell him a money order is fine."

"Will do."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem. Let me know how much Perce and I owe."

"Okay. Bye."

I snapped my cell phone closed and grinned at Ron. Ron, however, didn't appear to notice me. His eyes were focusing intensely on something over my shoulder. I turned and saw Noelle. She was blushing slightly, the corners of her mouth pulling into a shy smile as brought her arms to indicate the dress she was wearing.

"Well?" she asked.

"We'll take it!" the twins, Ron and I all exclaimed.

••• **Tonks •••**

"Dora! I need your help!"

I glanced up from my beer to see Bill slide in the booth across from me at the bar.

"I would love to help you, Bill, but I'm currently trying to drown my sorrows," I replied melodramatically, waving a hand at my booze. Bill furrowed his brow in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I sighed and leaned back against the leather of the booth. "I think I really hurt Remus. The look on his face when he saw the hickeys…"

"Oh, Dora, I'm sorry," Bill apologized, reaching across the table to cover my hand with his own. "I shouldn't have let myself get so carried away."

"Well, it's not exactly like I stopped you," I reasoned, offering my best friend a small smile. "Anyway," I continued, "what do you need help with? Is Fleur here? Do I need to kiss you or something?" I looked around the bar, half expecting to see a beautiful blonde somewhere in its midst. Bill, however, shook his head.

"For once this isn't about me," he explained. "I need your help with Ginny."

"What about her? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine," Bill replied quickly, waving off my concerned expression. "It's just that…Hogwarts is having a winter formal this Friday."

I groaned audibly. "Don't remind me," I whined. "I had to draw straws with Snape today to see which one of us has to chaperone. I'm convinced the bastard cheated. I now have to put on my dancing shoes and get hit on by drunk seniors."

"I could come with you," Bill offered brightly. "Glare at the inebriated boys and look menacing."

"Well, you do look good in a suit," I reasoned.

"I look fantastic in a suit!"

I smiled at him. "Alright, Weasley, you can come."

Bill grinned widely.

"So what about Ginny and the dance?" I urged, curious as to what he wanted from me.

"Oh right," Bill continued, shaking himself slightly. "So anyway, Ginny's currently under the impression that she can't go because she can't afford a dress. What she doesn't know is that her loving brothers have bought her a dress."

I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You guys picked a dress out for her?"

Bill blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, Ron's girlfriend picked it out. We just paid for it. And the shoes. And jewelry. And a purse thingy. Being a girl is so expensive!"

"You have no idea."

"Anyway, we're going to surprise her with her gifts Friday after she gets home from school. But we think she might need some help with her hair and make-up on such short notice."

"Say no more, Weasley; I'm there."

"Yeah?"

"Of course." I grinned at him, and he returned my smile while reaching into his wallet and pushing some money across the table.

"How about a round of drinks?" he asked.

I snatched up the money and rose from the booth. "Sounds good, Weasley. Your usual?" He nodded and I walked to the bar to order.

"Hey, you know you look good in that little skirt?"

Some large, leather-clad, lamewad, had the audacity to lumber up to me. He put a big, beefy hand on my shoulder, his garlic-smelling breath blowing past my cheek.

I shrugged his hand off of my shoulder and grabbed my drinks, turning to make my way back to Bill, but was prohibited by leather-clad lamewad, who wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

"Get off of me, asshole," I threatened, turning my face away as he drunkenly attempted to kiss me. I caught a glimpse of a hand tapping lamewad on the shoulder. Garlic breath bastard turned, revealing a pissed off Bill, who punched him.

The gargantuan, leather-favoring idiot fell to the floor, leaving Bill and I to both stare at him incredulously.

"Oh my God!" Bill exclaimed, blinking rapidly at the man he had just throttled. "I've never been in a bar fight before! This is so awesome!"

Lamewad groaned from his spot on the floor, and Bill's eyes suddenly widened in fear.

"Come Tonks," he said, grabbing my hand and making a mad dash to the door. "I don't think I can do it again."

••• **Hermione •••**

My brain vaguely registered that I was shaking and staring up at Victor with wide, tear-rimmed eyes.

The night had started innocently enough. He had successfully snuck into my dorm for a study session, and our studying was soon interrupted by stolen glances that were replaced by chaste kisses.

One thing led to another.

I had gone as far with him as I did with Ron, and then I kept going; my mind, hazy and lethargic, barely registered what was going on until we were both lying naked under the covers and I felt him pressed up against me. That's when the shaking kicked in.

Victor paused, not daring to go any further when he saw himself reflected in my tears. His thumb gently brushed one off of my cheek, and I turned my head away from his caress, my eyes seeking out the framed photo on my nightstand.

The photo was taken on Ron's sixteenth birthday and contained almost everyone I loved: Ron, Harry, Ginny, the twins, Noelle, Draco, Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati. There were so many of us posing for the camera, that we were all crowded together; I was ensconced firmly between Ron and Harry, safe and sound between their reassuring bodies.

Victor sighed and rolled off of me, staring sadly up at my ceiling.

"Go home, Hermione," he said softly.

"My parents are away on business this week," I replied pathetically, my eyes never leaving the photo. "The house is locked up, and I lost my key."

Victor chuckled hollowly.

"Go home, Hermione," he said again, pointing to the picture. "They're your family."

Victor sat up and reached for his clothes. He dressed silently as I continued to stare at the picture. _Could_ I go home?

Victor finished dressing and crawled over me to get to the window. He opened it and perched on the sill.

"Victor, wait!" I said suddenly. I sat up, using my sheet to cover my chest. He paused and looked back at me, his eyes dull.

"I really do like you," I told him honestly. "I do."

A small smile played across his lips.

"I know," he replied confidently. "Write to me?"

He climbed out of the window and stood on the branch, gazing at me inquisitively.

"Of course I will," I replied adamantly.

He smiled again; I could barely see it in the darkness. "Goodbye, Hermione Granger," he said.

And then he was gone.

For the longest time, I sat naked in my bed, staring out at the darkness that had swallowed Victor up. My mind was filled with soccer players and state lines, of motels and dorm rooms, Ron and Victor.

I reached for my clothes and dressed slowly as my mind became blissfully clear. My legs were shaking and my breathing was erratic as I crossed my room and threw open my closet door.

I reached for my suitcase.

••• **Noelle •••**

It looked as though every light in the Weasley house was turned on. Each window was golden, shining brightly in the gathering dusk as I pulled into the driveway and put my car in park. The car's interior lights came on and I took the opportunity to look at myself in the rear view mirror.

I had left school an hour early that day so that I could go to the salon. The year before, Ginny and the others had given me a makeover, and throughout the year, I had done nothing to change what they did to me. My hair grew out from the bob cut, but I continued to religiously dye it the red color that they chose for me. I wore the clothes that they had picked out and had done my makeup the way they had showed me every day. And, with a simple trip to the salon, I had changed all that, completely throwing away their guidance to pursue my own look.

The reflection in the rear view mirror showed a girl with a short, choppy haircut, blunt bangs swept to the side and the rest of the hair gathered into a tiny ponytail. The hair was dark red, darker than the red I normally dyed it, and much darker than my actual fiery locks.

My gray eyes were rimmed with black: mascara, eyeliner and a light, shimmery eye shadow. My lips were a glossy red.

My dress was a short, white strapless that I complemented with red, high heeled pumps and a red clutch. My only jewelry was a ring on my finger.

I liked how I looked, but was terrified of what others would think.

"Well, sitting in your car worrying about it won't help," I scolded myself, turning the engine off and getting out.

I walked up to the house, ignoring the chilly wind. No one answered when I knocked, but judging by the loud voices from within, people were home. I opened the door and walked through the darkened laundry room, stepping into the brightened kitchen.

I vaguely registered the twins, who were leaning against the counter, one of them dressed in a suit, the other in casual clothes, staring at me, but I walked past them, my eyes searching for their sister.

It didn't take long to find Ginny. I had only taken one step into the hallway when Ginny dashed from her room, dressed in the outfit I had chosen her, her hair half up. She appeared to be on her way to the lighted bathroom, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw me.

"Noelle!" she exclaimed loudly, her smile reaching her eyes as she rushed towards me and threw her arms around me. "You look so beautiful!" she exclaimed, pulling back to look at me.

"You do too!" I replied, smiling at her, pride welling in my chest as I looked at her.

The dress I had chosen for her was a shimmery gold that ended just above her knees. A large, black, silken belt wrapped around her waist, and golden strings stemming from the bust tied around her neck. Her shoes matched mine, only they were black. She looked gorgeous!

Our moment was suddenly interrupted by Tonks, who stuck her head out from the bathroom, a curling iron in her hand.

"Ginny, come back here, girl, I'm not done curling your hair! You look cute, Noelle," she added as Ginny squealed and scampered back to the bathroom.

It was then that Ron emerged from his bedroom. He looked as though he had just managed to successfully tie his tie, but it only took one look at me for his finger to immediately tug at the garment. It was as though he had trouble breathing. Bill appeared behind Ron. The older Weasley smiled at me before pulling his brother into his bedroom and shutting the door. I wondered what was going on, but decided I probably didn't want to know.

Ginny reappeared from the bathroom, her hair and makeup completely done.

"I just need to grab my clutch!" she said quickly. She pounded on Ron's door as she made her way to her room. "Let's go, Ron!" she yelled.

Ron's door opened and Ron stumbled out, Bill following with a large grin. Ginny joined us happily, grabbed our hands and led us out to the car.

••• **Ron •••**

Noelle and Ginny entered the gym ahead of me, their hands interlocked as they scurried to our group. I followed and nodded my hellos to Dean, Seamus and Neville as the girls all complimented one another on their dresses.

I felt a slight swell of pride when I realized that Noelle and Ginny were more beautiful than the other girls: Parvati and Lavender had shown up in the same bright pink dress and were upset about it, their despondency downplaying their otherwise good looks, and Luna looked nice in a bright blue dress that was…floaty, but her curled hair had a few too many blue gems in it; I was vaguely reminded of a doll Ginny had when she was little that had gems in its hair.

The music was upbeat with a fast tempo, and it didn't take the girls long to prance away from us guys. They took over the middle of the dance floor, shimmying and grabbing one another. Neville handed me a glass of punch, and I joined my friends in standing against the wall until a slow song came on and the girls fetched us.

With her girlfriends gone, Ginny stood in the middle of the swaying couples looking lost and alone. It was as though her happy bubble had popped, reminding her that despite being surrounded by people, she was still alone.

George, who was still dating his senior girlfriend, Katie, noticed Ginny's predicament. He shuffled Katie over to our sister and put an arm around her while still dancing with his girlfriend. Ginny giggled and swayed with the couple for a moment before taking George's arm from her shoulders and putting it back on Katie's waist. She then turned and waved to me and Noelle as she made her way to the punch table.

"I guess I should dance with her during the next slow song," I commented, jerking my head over towards Ginny.

"That would be sweet, Ron," Noelle replied, gracing me with a brilliant smile. "Maybe while you're dancing with her, I could get Bill to take me for a spin on the dance floor?" she suggested, her eyes finding my eldest brother, who was dancing with my history teacher and sending random boys dirty looks.

I pulled Noelle closer to me protectively. "Don't go falling in love with Bill," I told her, half joking.

She smiled again, relaxing in my embrace, her eyes glancing down at my chest.

"You, uh, really do look gorgeous tonight," I told her quietly, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Noelle's large eyes gazed at me. I leaned in, my lips close to her ear. "I like what you did with your hair; it suits you."

Noelle stepped closer to me, bringing her own lips to my ear. "After you dance with Ginny, let's leave."

I pulled away from her slightly, shocked. "Leave?" I asked. We hadn't been at the dance fore more than twenty minutes.

Noelle was blushing slightly, but she didn't break eye contact. "We'll come back, obviously. We're Ginny's ride after all, but…let's go somewhere where we can be alone, Ron."

I found it difficult to breathe. Bill had warned me that this would probably happen; I myself half expected it to, but to actually hear her suggest it…

The slow song ended and was replaced by _Zoot Suit Riot_.

"GINNY LIKES TO SWING DANCE!" I said rather loudly, breaking away from Noelle to take my sister for a spin on the dance floor as quickly as possible.

••• **Fred •••**

I was slouched on the couch in the darkened living room, aimlessly flipping through the channels on the TV in an effort to amuse myself. Everyone was gone. Mom and Dad had left to go on a couples' weekend to a local winery, and the majority of my siblings were at a school dance that I could not attend. I had called Charlie in the hopes of being able to hang out with him, but Charlie apologetically informed me that he was out at a bar, and seeing as I was only eighteen, I couldn't join him.

Which left me home. Alone. In the dark. With nothing on TV.

I was about ready to give in and call Percy, just to have someone to talk to, when the front door opened and Ron and Noelle stumbled through, kissing one another fervently.

"Is this the night?" I asked awkwardly, my words breaking them apart.

"Fred…hey," Ron greeted. The idiot was beet red. "We were just…uh…"

I sighed and turned off the TV.

"Don't mind me," I said, rising from the couch and entering the kitchen. "I'll just go put the Christmas lights up outside or something."

"Thanks, man," Ron said quickly, grabbing Noelle's hand and leading her into his bedroom before she changed her mind about the whole thing.

I couldn't help but smile a little: Baby Ronnie was going to become a man.

I put my shoes on and went into the laundry room to find the box of Christmas lights. I had just found them when there was a soft knock on the door behind me. I turned, noticing the shadow of someone standing outside, waiting to be let in. I opened the door.

"Oh fuck!" I swore as I gazed down at her.

"Well hello to you too, Fred," Hermione greeted, placing a hand upon her hip and sending me an uncharacteristically sly smirk.

I couldn't help but notice that Hermione had grown beautifully over the last seven months. She wasn't much taller from what I could tell, but she had matured in other ways. Her hair, that she had painstakingly straightened all last year, was back to being curly; but the curls fell softly on her shoulders, and it appeared as though she had cut some bangs. Her bangs – that also curled naturally – were brushed to the side, complementing her pretty face. She was dressed in a teal and white striped T-shirt, with a long-sleeved white shirt beneath it. Her shirt pulled snuggly across her chest, and I found myself gazing from the curve of her breast to the curve of her hip.

I was so entranced by her that I barely registered her hand coming to my chest, shoving me gently back so that she could enter the house. I did, however, notice her luggage.

"You're back," I stated stupidly as she brought her suitcases into the kitchen and set them down upon the floor.

"Yep," she replied, gracing me with a slight smile. "Where is everyone?"

I opened my mouth to answer but was cut off by a thump sounding in Ron's room. Hermione turned her head in the direction of the bedrooms inquisitively.

"Let's go out!" I exclaimed suddenly, rushing into the kitchen and gently taking one of Hermione's hands into my own. Hermione turned back to face me, raising a surprised eyebrow.

"Go out?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah. Let's get something to eat," I clarified a bit. I realized that I was talking quickly and that it was obviously apparent that I was trying to get her out of the house, but I had to try anyway. "I haven't eaten yet, and I'm sure you miss Ern's pizza."

"Well…" but Hermione was cut off by another thump, followed by a laugh.

Her hand slipped through my fingers like water and she was across the kitchen before I could stop her. "Hermione, wait!" I called after her as she walked down the hallway. "Mione, no!" But it was too late; she quietly opened Ron's bedroom door.

She gazed inside for a moment before calmly closing his door again. As far as I could tell, neither Ron nor Noelle had noticed her slight intrusion. She backed up and leaned against the wall, her eyes staring resolutely at the ceiling.

"Hermione," I whispered, coming up to her and cupping her face in my hands. "Hermione, I'm so sorry."

Her eyes left the ceiling and looked right at me as one of her hands circled my wrist.

"Yes," she said quietly, her mouth pulling into the tiniest of smiles.

"Yes?" I parroted in confusion.

"Let's go to Ern's," Hermione continued, gently pushing me away as she turned and reentered the kitchen. She smiled at me over her shoulder. "I'll drive, but you're paying. I ran away from my parents and am broke now."

I smiled and followed her through the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Hermione; I'll take care of you."

••• **Draco •••**

It was past midnight when I arrived at the darkened Weasley house. I walked up to Ginny's window and tapped lightly, fully expecting her to open it, and when she didn't, I tapped again.

"Ginny?" I called softly, peering in through the window. Her room appeared empty, so I opened the window myself and climbed in. A half an hour later, the door to Ginny's room opened and she stepped in.

"There you are!" I said getting up from my spot on the bed. I blinked as I took her in. "Oh wow," I whispered stupidly.

Ginny smiled and looked down at her gold dress. "Hogwarts had a winter formal tonight," she explained softly. "My brothers made me go."

"Did you save the last dance for me?" I asked, sending her my award-winning smile.

She laughed.

"You're such a dork, Draco."

"No, I'm serious," I replied, walking over to her stereo and finding a slow song on the radio.

"No, you're a dork," Ginny reiterated as I took her into my arms.

"Fine!" I consented. "But I'm your dork."

She smiled once again and took a step closer to me as we danced, resting her head upon my chest and wrapping her arms around my neck. The song ended, and I reached out and turned her stereo off before some loud DJ ruined the moment.

Ginny raised her head and looked right at me; her gaze was like a punch to my gut.

"Ginny," I started, but she reached up and kissed me before I could continue.

A voice in the back of my head told me that I was kissing Potter's girl, and I felt momentarily guilty until another voice told me that Potter's girl was now Jaclyn. This thought reassured me enough to edge Ginny over to her bed.

"I missed you," she whispered between kisses as we settled onto her mattress.

"I know you did," I replied.

My hand snaked up her leg, exploring the smooth skin under her dress as I continued to kiss her.

"Um," she stated uncomfortably as I kissed her neck. "Um, Draco, I…I'm…"

I pulled away slightly, my eyes focused on her face that was flushed with embarrassment. Realization dawned on me, though I found it difficult to understand how Potter had never…when she looked so beautiful.

I kissed her lightly once more before pulling back and getting out of the bed. "G'night, Gin," I said, heading towards the window. "I'll see you next week."

"You…you don't have to go!" Ginny said, following me. I smiled at her.

"Believe me, Gin, I do."

"But…"

I kissed her again.

"I'll see you next week," I told her yet again, climbing out of the window and walking away.

••• **Hermione •••**

It was close to two in the morning when Fred and I returned to the Weasley house. After Ern's we had walked around town, and I had told him about my horrible experiences at boarding school while he filled me in on Weasels. He didn't mention Angelina once, and I had to wonder whether or not they were still seeing each other.

"You can sleep in here tonight," he whispered, bringing my suitcases into his and George's room.

"Where's George?" I asked, stepping into the twins' room for the first time. It was a mess and smelled strangely enough like burnt leaves.

Fred set my stuff down between the two beds and grinned slyly back at me. "He's not here," he answered simply. My question was truly answered by what Fred didn't say. I blushed and adverted my eyes.

"Oh."

"Which, lucky for us, means that we have a spare bed for you," Fred continued, indicating the bed on my left. "Oh wait," he continued once he saw me inch closer to George's bed.

Fred went to their closet and pulled out some laundered sheets.

"George has a bit of a drooling problem, so we might want to change these," he explained as he began stripping the sheets off of George's bed.

With Fred preoccupied, I walked over to their closet and began looking for a shirt that would be large enough for me to sleep in. Their closet was actually pretty bare, considering that most of their clothes were on the floor. After a second of searching, my hand came into contact with nylon, and I discovered Fred's old Hogwarts High soccer jersey, the number 13 standing out vividly against the red.

I glanced over my shoulder at Fred who had his back to me and appeared to be having trouble changing the sheets. I changed quickly, barely believing that I had the audacity to do so in the same room as Fred.

"There we go!" he said at last, turning around happily. His smile quickly disappeared and his eyes widened as he saw me clad in his soccer jersey. He stared at me intensely for a few agonizing moments before the corner of his mouth pulled impishly upwards. He pulled his shirt over his head and shrugged out of his jeans.

"Goodnight, Granger," he said, getting into his own bed.

"Only Draco can call me Granger," I replied softly as I stepped around the mess on the floor and crawled into George's bed.

"Then what should I call you?"

"Goddess Divine."

Fred laughed and ran a hand over his face.

"It's good to have you back, Hermione."

"It's good to be back," I replied softly, lying on my side and gazing across the room at Fred. He was lying on his back, one hand under his head as the other rested upon his chest. I noticed that he had not bothered to cover up to his chin, opting to show a little skin. I smirked, knowing full well that the twins typically slept in pajamas and that he was showing off. His eyes were closed, though I knew he wasn't asleep yet and could probably feel my gaze upon him.

His lips twisted into a grin.

"I knew you loved me," he said, keeping his eyes clothes.

I dropped my arm to the side of the bed and picked up a balled up sock, throwing it at him.

"In your dreams, Weasley."

"Only Draco can call me that."

"Then what should I call you?"

He opened his eyes and turned his head; the impact of his gaze startled me.

"Fred," he replied before rolling over and falling asleep.

••• **Ginny •••**

Still clad in their suits from the night before, George and Bill stumbled into the kitchen as Ron and I were silently having breakfast. All four of us looked like hell, and I figured that none of us had gotten much sleep the night before. The two nodded their hellos to us before sitting down at the table and pouring themselves bowls of cereal. Several minutes of silence passed before Fred came into the kitchen from his bedroom. He looked well rested.

"So," he said brightly. "I hope you're all stable because your lives are about to receive a big blow."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Bill moodily asked George, as if expecting a translation. George seemed genuinely confused and shrugged. We all looked at Fred, who smirked and stepped aside.

For a few moments, the silence was deafening. And then…

"HERMIONE!" I exclaimed, rushing forward and tackling my friend with a hug. I vaguely registered Ron swearing under his breath, but I didn't care. Hermione was back.

•••

_From: Harry  
Sent: December 6__th__, 11;45 PM  
To: Everyone  
Subject: Hello?_

_Where the hell is everybody tonight? Hello? Did you guys forget me?_

_Harry_

•••

**End Author's Note:** I am evil; you all know this.

Anyway, I got to the end of this chapter and realized that I forgot Harry in it. Hence the e-mail.

Also, I once said that I expected this story to only be 12 chapters or so. I didn't lie; I really did expect that. But what I didn't expect was that this story has more of a plot than HHI did. Yeah, there's no mafia in this one, but all the characters are dealing with growing up and growing apart. Anyway, this story will end at the end of the school year like HHI did, and seeing as we're now in December, I say we're about halfway.

Before anyone asks, Hermione's still a virgin. Ron is not. Ron's the first out of the trio to lose it, wtf? Eh, he was the only one out of the trio that seemed ready in this fic. I can't help it. My muse is weird and Ron-loving.

And Ginny's dress is the one that Katie Leung wore to the UK OotP premiere.

There's parts of this chapter that I really, really like, and parts that I don't.

It's 3 in the morning; I've been writing for nearly 7 hours straight. I must sleep now. Please review. It makes me happy.


	12. A Million Ways

**Hogwarts High**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Sometimes, I just really can't write.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter…or…IHOP (although they have excellent pancakes)…Borders…George Foreman or his grill…

Chapter Twelve  
_A Million Ways_

•••**Harry •••**

I rinsed off my razor, then frowned at my reflection in the mirror. Clean-shaven and fresh from a shower, I looked pretty presentable; however, my hair was starting to dry and in doing so, it was beginning to look like some weird hybrid between a chia pet and a porcupine. I vainly attempted to flatten it with my hand and ended up sighing and glancing down at the vanity where Draco kept his numerous hair supplies.

"I must be out of my mind," I muttered as I grabbed the closest hair gel to me and squirted some onto my hand. I applied it quickly to my hair, and smiled slightly when I saw that it tamed my locks into a nicer, spiky look. Then I frowned and turned my head to the side, my stomach clenching as I saw light shimmer in my hair. Then I looked at my hands and realized that Draco's hair gel had little flecks of gold glitter in it.

"What the hell, man?" I asked, barging into his room unannounced. Draco was still in bed, one arm hanging over the side and curling to the floor, his mouth wide open on his pillow. He lurched awake at my yells. "What kind of guy buys hair gel that has glitter in it?" I continued as Draco blinked sleepily up at me.

For a long moment, I stared at Draco and he stared back at me. Then my brain realized what day it was.

"What the hell, man? It's a Saturday. What are you doing home? Did AhChoo break up with you or something?"

Draco groggily sat up in bed. "_Cho_," he said, emphasizing the name, "is busy this weekend."

"Doing what?"

Draco didn't answer right away. He got out of bed and stumbled to his closet where he pulled out a pair of jeans and put them on. "Visiting colleges," he replied at last, pulling out a white, button-down shirt and a blue and black striped sweater to wear over it.

"So she's an older girl?" I asked, partly intrigued.

"Sure," Draco replied nonchalantly. He walked out of his room and into our bathroom where he washed his face, then ran his fingers through his hair. The process took all of five minutes, and he looked like a million bucks afterwards.

"Yeah, you wish you were me, Potter," he said, smirking slightly at my jealous face.

I scowled. "You know, Draco, sometimes I think you speak just to hear yourself talk."

"Sometimes I do," Draco admitted casually, turning off the bathroom light and stepping out into the hallway. His eyes locked onto someone over my shoulder. "Hey, Jaclyn."

I turned suddenly, my hands going to my hair in an attempt to hide the sparkles.

"Harry, what the…?" Jaclyn asked, pulling my hands away and smiling at the sparkles.

"It's all his fault!" I said, pointing furiously at Draco. "He's the idiot who bought sparkly hair gel."

"Sparkles are sexy," Jaclyn assured me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, Potter, Sparkles are sexy," Draco reiterated, smirking at me as he headed towards the staircase. "So what are you two crazy kids up to today?" he asked as we all went down to the first floor and headed towards the kitchen.

"I was thinking about doing some Christmas shopping and maybe catching a movie afterwards," Jaclyn replied as we entered the kitchen. "You wanna come, Draco?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Larry, who was standing at the kitchen island and appeared to be going through mine and Draco's schoolbags.

"Why do both of you print all the time?" he asked in a frustrated manner, flipping through past tests.

"I don't when I'm using my signature," I replied, opening the fridge and pulling out a carton of orange juice that had Draco's name written on it in a permanent marker. I opened it and took a drink, earning a scowl from Draco, who took it away from me.

"Exactly," Larry continued, not paying attention to Draco and I fighting over the orange juice. "I was just going to forge your signatures onto these Christmas cards, but now you'll just have to sign them yourselves."

"Excellent! I love signing things!" Draco exclaimed happily, rushing over to the island and pulling a stack of cards and a pen towards him.

"Why do they need to sign these? They don't know these people," Jaclyn asked testily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's just polite," Larry replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, I really don't mind," I assured her, standing next to Draco and signing my name on the cards that he passed over.

Five minutes later, we were out of the house and heading towards my car; Jaclyn appeared to be in a bad mood as she got into the front seat and slammed the door. Draco and I decided not to say anything about it.

"Hey, Potter, pull over at that IHOP up there; I want breakfast," Draco instructed from the backseat. I glanced at Jaclyn to see if she would mind, but she appeared lost in her own world.

I pulled into the parking lot and the three of us went into the restaurant, found a seat and ordered some food. It was only then that Draco decided to address Jaclyn's strange mood.

"Look, we just signed some Christmas cards; it really isn't that big of a deal," he said, smiling up at the waitress as she placed his large chocolate milk in front of him.

"It's not just that," Jaclyn explained in an agitated manner, running her hands through her blonde locks. "It's just…" but she cut off and glanced guiltily at us.

"It's just what?" I asked her, my stomach twisting into a knot.

"Do either of you have bank accounts?" she asked unexpectedly.

"No," I replied at once, although some murky memory of an official looking woman talking to me shortly after Sirius' death surfaced in my brain.

"I did back at Hogwarts Hills," Draco explained, a smile breaking through his features as the waitress brought him his pancakes. "It transferred to some bank here, but I only have about a hundred dollars in it anyway. That's not even enough for community college," he muttered glumly into his food.

"Believe me, you should be able to pay for college," Jaclyn reassured, rolling her eyes in frustration.

"We're not having Larry and Susan pay for our college education," I stated adamantly.

"You shouldn't have to," Jaclyn answered back.

Draco and I stared at her, and she sighed.

"You're orphans," she explained. "You have inheritances." She paused and bit her lip nervously. "And I think Larry's after them."

"What?" Draco and I both asked in hushed whispers. The shock of it all was too much. Suddenly, memories of a drunk Sirius telling me that he had money set aside for me surfaced in my brain, closely followed by that day on the golf course when Larry seemed shocked and disappointed that Draco and I were only sixteen.

"Did you ever wonder what Larry does for a living?" Jaclyn asked us softly. "He's a con-man!"

Draco threw his arms up in agitation. "What is with Harry and I that we attract con-men and murderers?" he asked. "Do I have 'badass' tattooed across my forehead or something? Because, honestly, I wear sweaters and glitter hair gel!" He waved a distracted hand at my still sparkly hair.

"You two are rich and have the potential to become powerful men when you grow up," Jaclyn explained as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "I think that's what attracts them."

"So what should we do?" I asked suddenly, pushing my plate away. "Larry has our signatures and obviously knows more about our inheritances than we do. Do we find out what bank our accounts are at and have them transferred somewhere else without Larry knowing?"

"I have a pretty good idea of what bank has your accounts," Jaclyn announced. "But Larry has friends there, and they'll be on his side. We'll have to infiltrate it to get to your accounts."

"Oh God, Harry and I suck so bad at infiltration!" Draco exclaimed moodily, running his hands through his hair and gazing up at the heavens.

"Jaclyn, how are we going to infiltrate a bank?" I asked.

A slight smile played across Jaclyn's lips. "I know this girl that works there. She's eighteen, not very bright and…" she smiled as her eyes flickered over to Draco, "she likes blondes."

Draco's eyes widened in shock. "Are you going to go lesbian on us, Jaclyn? Because if you are, I totally want to watch."

Jaclyn rolled her eyes. "She likes male blondes," she clarified.

Draco suddenly looked taken aback. "Why are you two smiling at me like that?" he asked nervously.

And that's how Draco went back to being blonde.

•••**Tonks •••**

I entered the Weasley house through the back door and stormed into the kitchen.

"Weasley, this better be important because I have a lot of grading to…"

"Fix it!" Bill interrupted suddenly, gazing at me with pleading eyes and pointing behind himself to a group of teenagers that consisted of his younger siblings and some brunette girl I didn't recognize. The brunette girl and Ginny were holding hands and giggling, Ron was glaring at Fred heatedly and Fred and George looked amused with the entire situation.

"Bill, I don't understand what's going…"

"That girl is Hermione Granger. Her family used to live here. She's the same age as Ron and used to date him. She's also Ginny's best friend. Her family moved to Colorado a few months back, and she just recently ran away and now she's here and I don't know what to do," Bill explained in a rush.

"Oh, Bill, you are such a baby," I complained, taking a step forward. "Granger, is it?" I asked loudly, addressing the brunette. She eyed me warily.

"Yeah," she replied.

"I'm Tonks; I'm the history teacher at Hogwarts. Tell me, Granger…"

"Hermione," the girl corrected.

"Hermione," I replied, nodding. "Do your parents know where you are?"

Hermione blushed. "Runaways don't exactly tell their parents where they're running to."

The Weasley teenagers began shooting Bill dirty glances as if it was all his fault that I was here, possibly taking Hermione away from them. Bill attempted to make himself as small as possible.

"I don't think it'll be that hard for your parents to figure it out, Hermione," I reasoned. "And when they do, they have every right to come and take you away."

Fred and Ron definitely looked like they were about ready to kill Bill.

"However," I continued, taking note of everyone's stricken faces. "If you call your parents and can some how convince them to let you stay here…Hogwarts has some dorms for students like you. And I'm sure Dumbledore would be glad to have you back."

Hermione nodded sadly and took out her cell phone, hitting a button and holding it to her ear. "Hi…Dad?" she said softly after a moment. "Fine. Listen…I need to tell you something…"

But Hermione obviously didn't want to have this confrontation in front of everyone. She turned on her heel and entered what I was sure to be the twin's room, leaving the rest of us to wait impatiently in the kitchen. Ginny wrapped her arms around herself as if she was about to fall apart, Ron paced distractedly across the floor, George looked like he didn't know what to do with himself, Bill was still trying to make himself invisible, and Fred slumped against the wall.

We could hear Hermione's voice grow louder and more frantic through the walls, and Ron, suddenly filled with determination, entered the twin's room. Several tense minutes passed before Ron returned; he smiled and flashed us two thumbs up, and was quickly followed by Hermione who threw her arms around him, squealing happily.

"Ron, you were great!" she exclaimed, igniting a series of cheers from Ginny and the twins. "I can't believe you stood up to my father like that!"

Ron shrugged. "It was nothing," he mumbled.

"So I take it you're allowed to stay?" I asked, honestly shocked.

"Yes!" Hermione answered excitedly, hugging Ginny. "My parents are going to have my school fax over my records to Hogwarts, and they'll talk to Dumbledore on Monday to work out payments for the dorm and stuff. Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening!"

"Well, you won't be able to move into the dorm until Dumbledore finalizes everything, so I'm assuming you can stay here?" I asked, glancing questioningly at Bill, who nodded. "Great! Well, I'm glad I could help, but I have to get back to grading papers."

"Did you grade mine yet?" Ron asked.

"Your use of passive voice is appalling, Ron," I told him, as I made my way back to the door.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," I heard Ron say as I left the house. I was about to walk to my car when I felt strong arms wrap around me.

"I owe you one," Bill whispered close to my ear.

"You definitely do, Weasley," I replied, leaning into his embrace. "How about you pay for drinks tonight?"

Bill's arms left me as he winced apologetically. "I'm babysitting tonight," he explained.

"Bill, they're teenagers; I think they can watch after themselves."

"Hermione's past relationship with Ron aside," Bill explained, scratching his neck awkwardly. "Fred's been giving her a familiar look all morning."

"Familiar look?" I asked, shaking my head in confusion.

"It's the same look I give girls that I'm attracted to," Bill explained, blushing.

"And what look is that?" I asked.

He smiled shyly, a corner of his mouth pulling upwards as he glanced at his feet. "Have fun grading papers, Dora," he said before disappearing back into the house.

•••**Fred •••**

"Alright, man, spill," George ordered late Saturday night, once we had pulled ourselves away from the movie that was being played in the living room. He was sitting on his bed and gracing me with a knowing grin. "What happened between you and Hermione last night?" he asked

"George, smell your pillow," I ordered, pulling on some pajamas.

George looked confused for a moment, but he smelled his pillow. "It smells like strawberries," he announced.

"That's because Hermione slept there, and I slept in my own bed. Nothing happened, man. She's our little brother's ex-girlfriend."

"Wrong," George said loudly, getting up from his bed and walking over to me, jabbing his finger at my chest. "She's our younger brother's increasingly attractive and sassy _ex_-girlfriend, who chose to spend the night with you when she could have gone to anybody!"

I shrugged and plopped into bed. "She found me first, that's all."

"Fred, she couldn't take her eyes off of you tonight," George stated seriously. "There was a movie on TV, Ginny and Bill were having an eating contest, both of those things are highly more interesting that staring at your face. Hell! She could have spent her time glaring at Ron and Noelle cuddling in the arm chair, but no…she kept looking at you."

"So what?" I asked moodily, hating the fact that my twin was so perceptive.

"So, you were looking at her too."

I scowled and rolled over, listening as George changed into his pajamas and got into bed. It wasn't until he turned out the lamp that he talked again.

"Don't worry, Fred. I won't tell anyone."

•••**Remus •••**

"So I'm thinking about becoming a eunuch," Sirius announced unexpectedly at the breakfast table Sunday morning.

"Probably not one of your better ideas," I replied casually between sips of my coffee.

Sirius quirked an amused eyebrow. "You're probably right, Remus, but I need to find someway to calm myself down. My cabin fever's getting bad, and we know what happens when I go crazy."

"I agree with Sirius," Narcissa announced to my right. "Not about the eunuch thing, of course, but we've been hiding for way too long; it's time we did something. Sirius and I have children out there who are growing up without us."

I sighed and put my cup of coffee down, bringing my hands to rub my temples. "Okay, let's just pretend for a minute that the authorities will turn a blind eye to the fact that we killed a murderer…"

"Which, in all honestly, they probably will," Sirius said. "Tom was on the FBI's most wanted list for the better part of a decade."

"He still has friends who are loyal to him though," I explained as calmly as I could. "And let's not forget that Lucius is still alive and well," I added, glancing at Narcissa.

"Which is all the more reason for me to do something," Narcissa shot back. "Lucius won't leave Draco alone, I know it. And Draco's such a special boy; he needs his mommy."

Sirius snorted into his coffee and Narcissa shot him a disgruntled look.

"Okay, let's just pretend for a minute that I decide to do something with you guys," I said, ignoring Sirius and Narcissa's glaring contest. "What exactly do you guys plan to do?"

Narcissa bit her lip nervously. "I know some people in New York," she explained.

"Who are these people?" I asked, glancing between the two cousins.

"Let's just say that they're like Tom and his men, but they don't _like_ Tom and his men," she explained, a blush rising in her cheeks.

I groaned. "We're going to fight crime with crime. The authorities definitely won't turn a blind eye to that."

Narcissa smirked. "If we do our job right, the authorities won't know about it."

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "Okay, I'm listening."

•••**Harry •••**

"I don't like this!" Draco whined for the millionth time as we entered Borders. I glanced back at him to see him running an agitated hand through his newly blonde locks. "I'm regressing to how I was at the beginning of Sophomore year: blonde, cheating on girlfriends…"

I winced apologetically at Draco, realizing for the first time that we were asking a lot of him.

"If you don't want to do it, I guess we could just let Larry get our money…" I suggested.

Draco's face immediately hardened. "No," he stated adamantly. "It's my money, not his; he can't touch it."

"That's what I like to hear," Jaclyn announced, coming up to us and patting Draco on the back. "Okay, she's over in the music section. Brunette girl with bangs. Weird fashion sense. Last I saw her, she was listening to music on the headphones and dancing."

"Gotcha," Draco replied.

"Well, off you go," Jaclyn said, pushing Draco in the direction of the music. "We'll be in the romance novel section."

I gave Jaclyn a disgruntled face as Draco stalked off and she grabbed my hand to lead me to an aisle filled with pink paperbacks.

"Can I move to a more manly aisle?" I asked as Jaclyn picked up a random book.

"Real men stand in girly aisles with their girlfriend," Jaclyn replied, scratching her nose absentmindedly as she flipped through a book.

I groaned audibly and pretended that I didn't exist. Ten excruciating minutes later, Draco returned, looking a bit flustered.

"She molested me!" he announced. "But I got her number and we're meeting for coffee tomorrow," he added. "The things I do for money…"

It was then that Draco looked around at the aisle that we were in. He paled. "Um, can we move to a more manly aisle please?"

•••**Hermione •••**

By Monday night, I was more or less moved into my new dorm room. I had always known that Hogwarts High had a wing that was closed off to students, but I never realized that the wing held dorms.

I was just putting away some clothes when there was a knock at my door. I opened the door and my heart skipped a beat only to be let down when I realized that it was George at my door and not Fred.

"Hey, Mione," he greeted, entering my room and setting down a large box that he had been carrying. "Bill, Fred and I thought you could use something for your dorm," he explained.

I looked in the box and saw such things as a small microwave and George Foreman grill.

"Oh my God! Thanks so much!" I exclaimed, giving George a quick hug.

George smiled widely.

"I'm glad you're back, Hermione," he said slyly. "Things are interesting now."

I quirked an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

His smirk grew. "Nothing at all, Hermione, dear," he replied, heading back out the door. "Enjoy your stuff."

I rolled my eyes at his strange behavior as he closed the door behind himself. After he was gone, I started emptying the box: microwave, grill, some food, and…

My brow furrowed as I saw the flash of scarlet at the bottom of the box. I reached in and pulled it out, gasping when I realized that it was Fred's soccer jersey.

Interesting, indeed.

•••

_From: Blonde!Draco  
Sent: December 15, 10:44 PM  
To: Everyone  
Subject!!!_

_I'M BLONDE AGAIN!_

•

_From: The redheaded twins  
Sent: December 15, 11:00 PM  
To: Draco-kins  
Subject: Re!!!_

_Hot!_

•

_From: Neville  
Sent: December 15, 11:01 PM  
To: Draco  
Subject: Re!!!_

_Draco,_

_Weren't you always blonde? I'm confused._

_Neville_

•••

**End Author's Note:** I don't consider this my best chapter by any means, but considering how many times I had to rewrite it, I'm happy with the outcome. Anyway, I don't have much time. I need to grab something to eat and then meet up with a friend to catch a movie, but I would really like to say thank you to those of you who have been leaving me some really wonderful reviews! I don't know what it is, but for the last couple of chapters, I've been getting a lot of reviews that say more than the typical, "When are you going to update, woman?" These reviews are greatly appreciated, and are really one of the few reasons why I continue to write this fic, so thank you!

On a completely unrelated note, I hope those of you who are Americans and celebrate Thanksgiving have a happy turkey day! I actually get to celebrate my first Thanksgiving in three years this year, and I'm really excited about it. Other than that, I'm still drowning under a mountain of stress and work. Stupid university. However, keep your eyes peeled for updates around Christmas!

I feel like there's something else I wanted to address here, but I can't remember what.


	13. We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives

**Hogwarts High II**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** I remember what I forgot to address in my last Author's Note! When I started the HH series, I didn't know when Draco's birthday was, so I made it in early December! So we totally missed Draco's 17th birthday in this fic because I forgot about it. Happy belated birthday, Draco! I'm also amused with everyone's reactions to the pairings in this fic. Some of you are down right pissed at the pairings while most of you are like, "Wow! This is amazing, I don't even want Ron and Hermione to get back together!" Also, I got the idea of sparkly hair gel from a random memory I had. When I was in high school, one of my guy friend ran out of hair gel one morning and decided to borrow his sister's hair gel…little did he know that it had sparkles in it until he already had it in his hair, and by that time it was too late for him to wash it out, so he went to school with his hair like that and it wasn't until we were in PE and he was bench pressing, of all things, that the sun reflected off of his hair and people noticed the sparkles. Also, someone pointed out that Hermione's parents are unrealistic in letting her stay, and I agree. However, Hermione's parents in the canon totally seem laid back, so I guess it fits.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter…or those horrible Bratz dolls that scare the crap out of me…

Chapter Thirteen  
_We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives_

•••**Draco •••**

"Draco! You made it!" Jessie exclaimed at the door to her family's huge house. I attempted to smile as she threw her arms around me. Overall, Jessie was an alright girl: she definitely wasn't the brightest and she gesticulated too much, but she was completely smitten with me; therefore, she must have good taste.

"Oh my God, everyone totally can't wait to meet you!" she continued, breaking away from the hug in order to grab my arm and lead me into her house.

"I can't wait," I stated dryly, and I didn't have to wait, because within moments, we were in the living room, surrounded by her mom, dad and many older brothers, a few of which gave me dirty glances, but none of which appeared particularly threatening.

"Everyone," Jessie announced, sweeping her arms wide and nearly hitting me in the face, "this is Draco Malfoy. Draco, this is everyone!"

"Malfoy, eh?" a heavily botoxed woman I assumed was Jessie's mother asked. "Are you Narcissa's boy?"

Jessie immediately started waving her arms frantically in a warning gesture; however, like I said before, she gesticulates often and was therefore ignored.

"Yeah, I am," I replied, pulling slightly at my tie. The room, for what ever reason, appeared to be getting smaller.

"Lovely woman. How is she?"

Jessie smacked her palm onto her forehead in defeat.

"She's dead, actually," I announced, my stomach clenching slightly.

"Oh…sorry," I heard Jessie's mom apologize as Jessie grabbed my arm once again and led me through the house until we came to the kitchen where several women were cooking.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry about her!" Jessie exclaimed, waving her arms frantically and accidentally hitting a nearby woman. "Oh, sorry, Henrietta," she apologized quickly to the help.

"It's okay," I assured her, lying through my teeth and attempting to keep my heart rate down. The heat and steam emanating from the many cooking pots was not helping my sudden bout of claustrophobia, and I was quite sure that I was moments away from fainting in a very unmanly fashion. "Listen, can we go somewhere to be alone?" I asked softly. "I just need some air."

A large smile broke across Jessie's face and she clapped her hands together delightedly. "Come on," she instructed, leading me up a flight of stairs and down a hallway until we entered a bedroom decorated in violet. It was cooler in this room and the din from the downstairs barely reached us as I plopped down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling as I tried to regain my senses. It wasn't until I felt the mattress dip and Jessie's face appeared over mine that I realized the predicament that I was in.

'_Oh shit!'_ my brain told me.

"Mistle toe," she whispered, pointing above us to a sprig of mistle toe that she had hung over her bed.

'_Who the hell hangs mistle toe over their bed?'_ my brain asked sarcastically, but I told my brain to shut up; this was business and needed to be done in order to keep my precious money safe.

Kissing Jessie was unlike kissing any other girl I had ever kissed before. And I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. I had never kissed a girl that I didn't want to kiss before. I had always felt some sort of attraction, but there was no attraction with Jessie, and I suddenly realized how it must be like for actors to do a love scene. My lips were moving and my eyes were closed, but I couldn't get myself into it; all I wanted was to be somewhere else, kissing a different girl under the mistle toe.

My body tensed uncomfortably when she shifted herself so that she was on top of me, straddling me as she unbuttoned my shirt.

"Um, Jessie?" I asked between kisses. "Aren't we moving a bit fast? We've only known each other for a week."

Jessie grinned mischievously up at me as she finished unbuttoning my shirt; her hands skimmed my stomach. "From what I hear, that's never stopped you before," she said, one hand going to my belt.

'_Damn my past playboy reputation!'_

"You're different though," I said quickly, grabbing her hand before it reached my zipper. "You're special," I elaborated, feeling slightly sick at the lie. "I want to do this right with you."

Jessie's face looked stricken. "It's me, isn't it?" she asked, chocking slightly on a sob. "You're not attracted to me!" She got off of me and turned away, crying into her hands. I rolled my eyes in frustration and scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I am attracted to you!" I whispered in her ear, placing soft kisses on her neck. "I want you, Jessie."

'_Honestly! The things I do for money!'_

She turned to face me, a slight smile playing across her tear-stained face. "You can have me right now, Draco."

"But…"

"No buts!" She was advancing on me again, looking much like a predator. "I'm not some sixteen-year-old virgin; I'm eighteen and know what I'm doing."

She kissed me again as my brain tried to come up with some other excuse. No excuse came, however, and my head became foggy as my body took over.

•••**Harry •••**

Draco was at Jessie's family Christmas and Larry and Susan were at a Christmas party of their own, leaving me home alone with Jenny on Christmas eve. I had never thought that I was particularly good with children until I met Jenny. With the entire house to ourselves, I blasted some Christmas music on the sound system and attempted to teach Jenny how to bake cookies. All in all, it was a pretty good evening.

"Alright, Jenny, you can open one present tonight," I told her after she had taken a bath and was in her pajamas. I sat cross-legged on the floor as the little girl approached the tree and picked out a present. She brought the present back to me and settled in my lap before opening it. I smiled and rested my chin on top of her head as she tore into the wrapping paper, revealing another Bratz doll to add to her already scary collection.

She appeared mildly pleased with her gift as she ran her fingers through the doll's hair and made some general comments about the doll's wardrobe.

"Will Santa know that you and Draco are here now instead of your other home?" she asked unexpectedly as I picked her up and headed towards the staircase.

"Of course," I replied. "Santa has special elves that keep track of everyone."

"Really?" Jenny asked, her eyes large and bright.

"Yep!" We entered her room, and I pulled back the covers as she scrambled into bed, placing her doll next to her on her pillow. "G'night, Jenny," I told her, ruffling her hair.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

Jenny smiled up at me. "I'm glad Mommy and Daddy adopted you."

I felt guilty as thoughts of being torn away from my friends and Larry stealing my money surfaced in my mind, but then I saw Jenny's smile and I couldn't help but smile as well. "Me too," I told her, somewhat honestly. I leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Love you, Harry," Jenny mumbled sleepily.

"Love you too, Princess Jenny" I replied, turning out the light and closing the door.

Jaclyn was standing in the hallway, grinning widely.

"Hey…" I started, but was cut off by her grabbing my hand and leading me down the hallway and into my room, where she closed the door and kissed me fiercely.

"What was that for?" I asked once she pulled away.

"For being adorable!" she answered, still smiling, her hands interlacing with my own. "You are so great with kids, Harry!"

"Well, I…" But she cut me off again with another kiss; she tasted like cinnamon, and I found myself deepening the kiss just to taste more of her. She sighed as I began kissing her neck, relishing the fact that she had one hand knotted in my hair while the other snaked under my sweater. Her own sweater was low cut, and I caught a glimpse of something bright red under it. Intrigued, I brought a hand to push the neckline of her sweater even lower, taking in her red bra that had little snowflakes on it.

"You're wearing holiday underwear?" I asked her softly, grinning against her neck.

"Yes. Are you?" she shot back playfully.

"What do you think?"

Her hands immediately went to my belt. "I think you are," she whispered, her breath brushing against my lips before she leaned in for another kiss as her hands worked at my belt and zipper. My jeans fell to the floor, revealing my Rudolph boxers; Jaclyn actually laughed.

"Shuddup, Draco made me buy them," I mumbled, stepping completely out of my jeans, and pulling my sweater off. Jaclyn was no longer laughing; she was staring at me. I felt myself flush.

"Your turn," I said, hoping that she wouldn't take it the wrong way and slap me.

She blushed slightly, but pulled her sweater off and unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the floor. Her bra and panties matched: red with little snowflakes on them. They weren't meant to be sexy -- they were cotton and not overly revealing – but I couldn't help but feel immensely turned on.

A soft giggle escaped Jaclyn's lips.

"What?" I asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"We're just standing here," she replied, little splotches of blush rising on her cheeks.

"Oh," I replied. I took a few steps forward and placed my hands on her waist nervously, suddenly feeling awkward. I leaned in and kissed her, quickly and innocently until she started kissing back fervently. We stumbled over to my bed, and I had no idea what I was doing, but I didn't care and didn't want to stop.

Her bra had a front clasp and I attempted vainly to unhook it.

"What? Is this Harry-proof, or something?" I asked as my fingers fumbled with it.

A soft laugh escaped Jaclyn's lips. "Here, let me," she said, easing me up into a sitting position. Her hand went to the clasp, but before she could unhook it, we heard the bathroom door slam. Moments later, we heard retching.

"Jenny?" Jaclyn asked, glancing to me in concern.

"The voice sounds too deep to be Jenny's," I said, frowning in disappointment as Jaclyn got out of bed and began dressing. "I'm sure Draco just drank too much or something; he's fine!"

My coaxing didn't convince Jaclyn, however. She finished dressing and left my room; a moment later, I heard her knock on the bathroom door. "Draco?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

I sighed and pulled on my jeans and sweater, joining Jaclyn in the hall. There was more retching from the bathroom. Jaclyn sent me a worried look.

"Draco, I'm going to come in, okay?"

When Draco didn't stop her, Jaclyn turned the doorknob and opened the door, revealing Draco in front of the toilet, one hand tangled in his blonde locks while the other clutched the toilet's side.

"Hey," Jaclyn said softly, entering the bathroom and sitting on the floor next to Draco. She began to rub his back softly. "What's going on?" she asked.

Draco's eyes flashed between me and Jaclyn; he appeared to be keeping himself from not getting sick again.

"I slept with her," he choked out suddenly. "I didn't want to, and I tried to tell her that but…she only thinks of herself."

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Jaclyn replied as she continued to rub his back. "You don't have to do this anymore. We'll think of another way to stop Larry."

Draco shook his head. "If we stop now, then I did it in vain."

Jaclyn sent me a hurt look, and I suddenly felt my stomach clench with revulsion against Larry and Jessie and people like them. I longed for my friends back home.

"Draco," I said suddenly, a grin crossing my features. "I think I know how to cheer you up."

•••**Hermione •••**

The Weasleys were waiting for me at the front of the church for midnight mass. Mrs. Weasley beamed when she saw me; she rushed up and engulfed me in a bone breaking hug.

"Oh, Hermione, dear, you look beautiful!" she exclaimed, holding me at arm's length as she took me in. "Doesn't she look gorgeous?" she asked over her shoulder at the remaining Weasleys. Mr. Weasley and Bill nodded absentmindedly while Fred and Ron blushed and avoided eye contact. George, however, grinned brightly.

"She looks hot!" he exclaimed loudly, earning a playful punch on the shoulder by Katie. "Not as hot as you, dear," George stated, wrapping an arm around Katie's shoulders.

I furrowed my brow when I realized that the entire Weasley clan was not there. I already knew that Percy was staying in Boston over the holidays, but that didn't explain the other absences.

"Where're Ginny and Charlie?"

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Charlie's vacationing with some girl I don't approve of, and Ginny either has a really bad cold or some fantastic acting skills," she explained, taking my arm and leading me into the church. "It's just as well, I suppose," the older woman sighed softly as she found an empty pew. "With them gone, we might be able to fit in the same pew."

We did manage to sit in the same pew, but it was rather crowded and, to my misfortune, I somehow ended up sitting between Ron and Fred.

"Where's Noelle?" I asked Ron in a whisper.

"Her family doesn't believe in organized religion," Ron whispered back.

"And where's…?" I started, turning towards Fred with the intent to ask about Angelina, but George sent me a warning look, and I fell silent.

The next fifteen minutes passed quickly as random friends who didn't realize that I was back in town broke apart from their families momentarily to come over and greet me, some of them even leaning over Ron to hug me.

Once the mass started, however, things got uncomfortable. Every time Ron and I accidentally brushed against one another, he would blush, apologize and move further onto his side. Fred, however, seemed to take great pleasure in brushing against me…that is until George realized what was going on and took it upon himself to push Fred into me with such force that I would bump into Ron as well.

By the time the mass was over, Ron, Fred and I stumbled out of the pew as if our lives depended on it.

The annual snowball fight in the church courtyard was taking place once we stepped out of the church.

"You're not going to join in?" I asked Ron as we gazed at the kids throwing snow.

"Nah," Ron replied. "It's not the same without Harry here."

"Yeah," I agreed sadly.

"Oh, Hermione, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, bustling up to me and Ron. "You simply must stay over tonight! You shouldn't be alone on Christmas, and I'm quite sure Ginny has some spare pajamas that you can borrow."

I was about to turn down Mrs. Weasley's offer when Ron cut in.

"Yeah, Mione, stay over tonight," he said, smiling slightly.

"Can Katie stay over too?" George asked suddenly, his face hopeful.

Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes sternly. "No," she replied.

"Aww!" George whined.

Katie smiled up at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, George," she said, standing on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss. Mrs. Weasley turned back to me expectantly.

"Sure," I replied, giving in.

"Excellent! We'll see you at the house, dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she and Mr. Weasley began heading to their car. "Come along, you three," she added to the twins and Ron.

I watched their retreating backs for a moment before I realized that someone was still standing beside me.

"Mom must really like you," Bill mused.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He grinned down at me. "She never let any of my ex-girlfriends stay the night," he replied.

"Ron and I aren't…"

"You're not dating anymore, we know," Bill said, placing his hand on my lower back as we made our way across the street and into the parking lot. "You're just lucky that Mom hasn't caught onto you and Fred yet."

I stopped walking and threw my arms into the air in frustration. "Why does everyone think there's something going on between me and Fred?"

Bill laughed softly and opened my car door for me. "Because there totally is something between you and Fred," he answered.

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but couldn't think of what to say and ended up looking like an idiot. Bill chuckled again.

"I'll see you at the house, Hermione," he said as I got into my car.

"Humph," I replied.

•••**Fred •••**

"I hate holiday traffic!" Dad complained as we sat at an intersection, waiting for the car in front of us to move. Ron, George and I were all in the backseat together, with George sitting in the middle, his arms resting on the back of the seat as he grinned delightedly and annoyingly at Ron and I.

"That was a really nice mass, I think," George stated happily. "Very interesting, wasn't it?" he asked, glancing first at me, then at Ron. "Very _cozy_, too," he added, putting a certain amount of emphasis on the word 'cozy'.

Ron, who had been glaring moodily out of the window, suddenly turned to glare at me, a few strands of hair falling out of the ponytail he had put in to look presentable for church.

"Can't you use your twin mojo to shut him up?" he asked me angrily.

"Twin mojo?" I asked Ron, quirking an annoyed eyebrow.

"You know, use your telekinesis or whatever to tell him that he's a fucking bastard and that he needs to shut up!"

"RON!" Mom exclaimed.

"Geez, Ron, I'm only right here," George muttered.

"Seeing as bastard refers to a person who has no father, and seeing as I'm George's father, I sort of resent that statement," Dad said rather casually from the front seat.

"Yeah, well, at least he didn't call me a son of a bitch; then we'd really be in trouble!" George quipped with a fair share of amusement.

"George!" Mom suddenly exclaimed, turning to glare at us. "All three of you need to watch your language unless you'd rather walk home!"

"I didn't say anything!" I protested.

"Not yet anyway," George added under his breath.

I sent my twin a disgruntled stare. "George, shut up," I told him, shaking my head and slouching down moodily.

"Bitchy tonight, aren't we?" George asked.

"That's it!" Mom exclaimed. "Arthur, pull over, the boys are walking the rest of the way home."

"Moooommmm!" Ron and George both whined as Dad pulled over to the curb.

"But I didn't say anything!" I reiterated, not believing my luck! For once in my life, I wasn't doing anything wrong, and yet I was still being punished.

"You too, Fred," Mom said as Ron and George climbed out of the car. "You obviously have something you need to talk over with your brothers. I don't know what it is, but I hope it's resolved before you get home. Please don't kill each other; it'll ruin Christmas!"

I sighed and got out of the car, slamming the door and glaring at Ron and George. George appeared slightly apologetic and began walking. Ron and I kept some distance between us and George as we followed. The minutes passed on in silence and it wasn't until our house was in view that Ron sighed.

"It's okay, Fred," he said at last.

"Huh?"

"It's okay."

"What is?"

Ron sighed again.

"Don't make me say it out loud, because this is hard enough as it is. It's just okay. I won't…you know…stop you."

"I think he's giving you his blessing," George called over his shoulder.

Ron and I both scowled. "Shut up, George!" we said simultaneously.

•••**Remus •••**

"THIS. IS. INSANE!" Andromeda yelled amidst the chaos of packing. "What if you guys get caught? Narcissa, you don't even know if they'll agree to help you! What will you guys do then?"

Narcissa shrugged as she threw a pair of jeans at Sirius to put in his bag. "We'll come up with a different plan if that happens," she replied.

"What if you guys get caught and they link you back to me? That puts me in danger as well! And Dora!"

"Speaking of Dora," I said suddenly, looking up from packing. "I'd like to say goodbye to her."

Narcissa and Sirius immediately turned towards me, grinning madly. Andromeda sighed and rolled her eyes in a defeated manner as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her car keys, handing them over.

"She lives in Hogwarts Apartments, room 2B," Andromeda informed. "Don't do anything stupid," she warned as an afterthought.

"Andy, he isn't me," Sirius said as I left the house; however, I was stupid. The joy of being out of that horrible house was enough to have me speed down the interstate with the music blaring. And the recklessness didn't end there.

"Remus, what the hell?" a bleary-eyed Tonks asked when she answered the door to her apartment. I didn't answer, however; I merely leaned down and kissed her until she pulled me into her apartment and closed the door behind us.

•••**Hermione •••**

I knocked lightly on Ginny's door before poking my head in. The red-headed girl in question was lying in bed, the small lamp on her nightstand was on and illuminated her puffy eyes and red nose.

"Hey," I greeted softly, entering into her room and closing the door behind me. "I'm just going to change into some pajamas and then be out of your way," I explained, padding over to her dresser and opening her pajama drawer. I found a pair of pajamas that looked like they'd be comfortable, and I quickly changed into them, leaving my own clothes on Ginny's reading chair for me to change back into in the morning.

"Good night, Ginny," I whispered, turning around and heading back to the door. I stopped before reaching the door, however, and turned around, gazing at Ginny's puffy eyes quizzically.

"Ginny?" I asked suspiciously, inching closer to her bed. "Are you really sick, or have you been crying?"

Ginny's blush answered my question, and I sighed and sat down on the foot of her bed. "Honey, what's wrong?" I asked her. "Do you miss Harry? Because we all do right now."

Ginny didn't answer at first; she gazed at me as if she was summing up whether or not she could trust me. "I miss Draco," she stated at last in a hushed whisper.

"Draco?" I asked, confused. It seemed so random.

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "We're secretly dating."

I was beginning to think that maybe Ginny really did have a fever and was delusional.

"Seriously?" I asked. "Like, online?"

Ginny's blush intensified.

"He's been spending the weekends here. Hiding in my room," she admitted.

My jaw dropped.

"How…how serious are you guys?"

"I don't even know. We were making out a couple weeks ago, and he suddenly left, and I haven't heard from him since."

"Well…Draco's weird like that," I tried to explain, hoping that Draco had a good explanation for being elusive. "Have you tried calling him?"

"No, but I sent him an e-mail."

I shook my head. "Gin, if there's one thing I discovered while I was away, it's that the guys we hang out with don't pay nearly enough attention to their e-mail. Ron's the worst, of course, but Harry's pretty bad too, and Draco only e-mails when he feels strong urges to talk about himself."

A small smile played across Ginny's lips.

"Don't worry, Gin, I'm sure he has a good reason for not keeping in touch. And if he doesn't…well, just remember that you've got six brothers who probably wouldn't mind kicking the crap out of him."

Ginny's smile turned genuine. "What would I do without you, Mione?" she asked.

"Crash and burn," I replied. We exchanged a quick hug and I left her room with the intent to go to the living room to sleep on the couch; however, the hallway was dark, and my eyes didn't adjust in time to avoid running into someone who had just left the bathroom.

"Oh, sorry," I said quickly.

"S'ok, Mione," Fred replied. He glanced up at the ceiling, but glanced away so quickly, that I was forced to look up as well. It took me a minute as my eyes adjusted, but I soon realized that we were standing under what appeared to be a small plant.

"Oh…mistle toe," I stated dumbly.

Fred nervously scratched the back of his neck, keeping his eyes firmly rooted on his feet. "Yeah, Mom put it up…" he babbled.

"Oh," I replied happily, linking my hands behind my back and waiting expectantly for Fred to lean down and kiss me. He didn't; he merely shuffled his feet and avoided eye contact.

"We don't _have_ to…" he whispered distractedly, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, no one's looking so…"

"Exactly," I shot back, finding it difficult to keep from smiling. "So what are you scared of, Fred?"

Fred knitted his brow in agitation. "I'm not scared," he stated.

"Uh huh," I replied sarcastically.

Fred appeared frustrated for a moment before he sighed, his features relaxing slightly. "Alright," he said at last, and before I even realized what was happening, he leaned down and placed a quick kiss upon my lips; it was completely innocent and over way too fast.

"Night, Hermione," he sputtered, sidestepping me and entering his bedroom.

"Night," I replied, somewhat disappointedly.

•••

**End Author's Note:** No e-mails in this chapter because 1) I can't think of anything funny for them to say to each other, and 2) it's 2:30 in the morning and I'm exhausted. Anyway, I woke up this morning and thought, "Do I want to do homework, or do I want to write more of HHII?" and after reading some of the truly remarkable reviews that I've gotten for the last chapter (including one that was written in song!), I've decided to put off my homework and write this. It's longer (and in my opinion better) than the last chapter, although it's not the longest, and probably not the best either.

And let me just say this now…I hate Jessie! Incase I didn't make it clear, she's the girl who works at the bank, and Draco has to seduce her in order for him and Harry to get to their accounts. Anyway, I sat down, thinking that she'd be a comical character, but she turned into a self-absorbed bitch, and I don't like her at all. Poor Draco…it's tough for him to grow up. But yeah, I don't know why, but when I was writing their scene together, I got nervous because she's 18 and he's 17, and in some states that's illegal (like, 2, I think). Not in the state that I live in, but in some states. Anyway, I never specifically said what state Harry and Draco now live in, so let's pretend they live in one where the age of consent is 17. Let's also ignore California's legal age of consent, otherwise the Hermione/Fred seems weird even though she's 17 and he's 18.

And I probably shouldn't admit this, but a part of me wants Narcissa to get knocked up with Remus' kid, just because Draco's face when he finds out that his mom is carrying his former teacher's child is hilarious! But that's probably going too far, even in this effed up fic, so I'll refrain. But seriously, everyone should just picture Draco's face, because it's hilarious.

Oh, and Ron needs a haircut. For realz. I think it's funny how, after Rupert Grint let his hair grow, a plethora of fan art and fanfiction depicted Ron with long hair, and I was one of them. But he's been growing it for months now, and it's probably pretty long, and I don't think I'm giving too much of the plot away when I say that sometime in the near future, Ron will be getting a haircut.

I think I have some new readers to this fic, because I've gotten some shocked and amazed reviews about how sporadically I update. Heh heh…yeah. It's been really sporadic lately too! It used to be I'd update every two or three months or something, and now I'll go through a month where I update 3 or 4 times, and then a month or two where I don't update at all. And let's not forget the writer's block during the summer of 06. The truth is, though, that I'm really trying to finish this series now, because the older I get, the more disconnected from this story I get, and I really want to finish it. With that said, it probably will be a month before I update this again because I can't keep putting off my projects and grad school application for much longer.

…Is anyone still reading this AN? It's like the longest one in the world. You guys should feel special…you get to read my insane ramblings at 3 o'clock in the morning.

Okay…bed.


	14. Dumb Mistakes

**Hogwarts High II**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** This chapter is really kind of depressing. But I promise it's needed. Happier times are on the way.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that's vaguely familiar to you.

Chapter Fourteen  
_Dumb Mistakes_

**--- Hermione ---**

"BILLY BEERBOMB STILL EXISTS?" I stared at Ginny incredulously, shifting myself on her bed so that I was slightly more comfortable. Mrs. Weasley didn't like the idea of me spending the whole of winter break in a dorm by myself, so I had been crashing in Ginny's room for the past week, creating all sorts of tensions in the house seeing as Ron and Fred were both sleeping within close proximity to me. Ginny turned away from rummaging through her closet to grin at me.

"I KNOW! I WAS SHOCKED TOO!" she exclaimed, turning back to her closet and pulling out a collection of homemade dresses. "But he's apparently alive and well and SOBER! He's taking some classes at the community college and has been helping the police put his old dealers behind bars."

"HE'S CLEAN?!?"

"DID I STUTTER?"

"SHUT UP! FOR THE LOVE OF…"

Ginny and I immediately turned to see Ron shuffling in through the doors that separated their rooms. Clad in pajamas with messy hair and sleep-filled eyes, he looked as though he had just gotten out of bed despite it being close to noon. He came over to Ginny's bed and swatted my thigh, signaling that I should make room. I moved over and he joined me, leaning back against Ginny's pillows, one of his hands finding its way into my hair, a finger twirling around my curls.

"Ugh, you two are too cute," Ginny complained, scrunching her face in disgust and turning back to her wardrobe. "Don't let Noelle see you like that; she's already nervous about losing Ron."

Ron's face suddenly hardened. "She thinks that I'd just leave her?"

Ginny shrugged, and Ron groaned, bringing the hand that wasn't in my hair to rub his eyes.

"She doesn't know me at all," he muttered.

_'And yet you two slept together,'_ I thought sardonically to myself, a pang of pain stabbing through my chest. Ron seemed to have noticed my shift in mood, his hand pausing in my hair.

"I FOUND IT!" Ginny suddenly shrieked happily, pulling out a bright red, spaghetti strapped dress. The cut would enhance her petite frame perfectly, but the color clashed with her hair horribly. I was just about to be a good friend and tell her so when she handed the dress to me. "Here you go, Hermione, you'll look gorgeous in it."

"What?" Ron and I both asked, our voices cracking with shock. Ginny was smiling slyly at us.

"Bill Beerbomb is throwing the biggest New Years party of the century!" she explained, turning her back to us and picking up discarded items of clothing to put them away. "Do you honestly think I'd let you go in your usual jeans and t-shirt, Hermione?"

"Well what are you wearing then?" Ron asked defensively.

"The gold dress that you guys bought me for the winter formal," Ginny answered, swatting Ron upside the head with a shirt. "It's too nice to be worn only once."

Ron blushed slightly, his eyes finding the red dress in my hands once again. "You should try it on," he told me softly.

"What an excellent idea, Ron!" Ginny exclaimed loudly, grabbing her brother's arm and hauling him out of the bed. "Let's go get you some breakfast while she changes."

"I can get my own breakfast," Ron complained as Ginny held onto his hand and led him out of the room.

I stared at the dress for a few moments, running my hand over the fabric. I already knew that it would fit me perfectly, and I suspected that Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had made it with me in mind. I would look great in it, but for who?

The noise from the kitchen brought me out of my thoughts, and I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. I shrugged out of my jeans and t-shirt and pulled the dress on. I was right; it was perfect. I sighed, trying to control myself to look indifferent as I left Ginny's room and walked down the hallway to the kitchen.

Bill was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. He glanced up when I entered, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he whistled. Ron and Ginny immediately turned away from the stove, Ginny rushing over to me excitedly and Ron staring. He smiled slightly, our eyes connecting for a moment before he turned back to his food. He wasn't going to prove Noelle right.

**--- Jaclyn ---**

I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I pulled into Larry and Susan's driveway. I felt slightly hollow and deflated as I sat in my car. For the past week I found myself plagued with strange dreams. In the dreams life went on like normal: I went to school, the mall and hung out with Harry and Draco; but, the scary part of the dreams, was that I could never clearly see either Harry or Draco. They were always blurred. Fading away. Leaving me.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I got out of my car and entered the house, climbing the stairs to the second landing. I had to see them to ascertain that they were still here and still solid.

"ONE IS THE LONELIEST, NUMBER ONE IS THE LONELIEST!"

I paused outside of Draco's room and peered in. He was lying on his bed, one arm thrown over his face dramatically as he sung.

"Are you drunk again, Draco?" I asked him, standing in his doorway.

"No," Draco answered back, not moving his arm away from his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wishing there was someway I could bring back the smiling, narcissistic bastard we all knew and loved.

"Everything," he replied, slightly dramatically.

I paused, biting my lip nervously. "Where's Harry?" I asked at last.

As if on cue the shower sounded, and Draco moved his arm from his face to indicate the bathroom. There was another awkward pause.

"I'm going to go join him," I announced.

Draco's familiar smirk crossed his features briefly as he looked at me. "Have fun," he told me before relapsing into another rendition of_One is the Loneliest Number_.

They kept the key to the bathroom at the top of the doorframe, and I opened the door and entered as quietly as I could. He was surprised to see me enter the shower with him, fully clothed. He self-consciously tried to cover himself, but I pulled the bottle of shampoo away and kissed him.

At first he was stiff, awkward, refusing to touch me; but then he relaxed, melting against me as his hands traced the contours of my body through my wet clothes.

"You…you don't have to," he choked as I trailed kisses down his neck and chest. I paused, smiling up at him, and he didn't speak again until it was over.

Draco was standing in his doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, when we left the bathroom. The blonde eyed my wet clothes, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"You know, most people take their clothes off," he commented dryly.

"Fuck off, Draco," Harry said as we passed.

We descended the stairs and left out of the front door; Harry saw me to my car and signaled for me to roll down my window.

"What are we doing tonight?" he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice. My chest tightened.

"I'm hanging out with Jessie," I replied. His face contorted into disappointment.

"Jessie? Come on, you don't have to hang out with her!"

"It was her idea, actually," I explained. "She thinks we need to bond if we're dating brothers."

"Draco's not my brother," Harry said quickly.

I smiled at him. "Yes he is, Harry. You should hang out with him tonight; I think he's feeling lonely."

Harry groaned. "Is he still singing that damn song?"

I laughed slightly, reaching out of the window to take his hand.

"Promise me you'll hang out with him tonight," I told him.

He nodded, kissing my palm, his eyes staring at me as though he had something that he wanted to tell me. He opened his mouth, but his lips couldn't form the worlds.

"I'll see you later, Harry," I told him, withdrawing my hand and rolling up the window. He stood on the driveway until I had disappeared around the corner. I drove home, went up to my room and started crying.

They were going to leave me. Now that they knew what Larry was, they were going to take their money and run. And the worst part was that I wanted them to. They deserved so much more than a life of cons and lies.

I cried for hours, then stood and dried my eyes. Harry may not have loved me, I loved him, so I was going to help him.

**--- Fred ---**

"Ron, what the hell, you don't work today," I said as my brother strolled into the stock room, wearing his red Weasels shirt and a look of determination.

"Are you going to Billy Beerbomb's party tonight?" he asked urgently, resting his hand on the box of supplies that I was unpacking.

"Yeah, do you need a ride or something?" I asked nonchalantly, keeping my eyes on the box; for whatever reason, I couldn't look him in the eye anymore.

"No, but I do need a favor from you."

"Which is?"

"Keep an eye on Hermione while you're there."

I looked up, catching his gaze for the first time in a week. "Why don't _you_ keep an eye on her?"

Ron looked at me as though he thought I was stupid.

"She gives me space whenever I'm with Noelle," he explained at last.

I didn't say anything; I merely continued to stock the shelves.

"Why are you fighting this, Fred?" Ron asked at last.

"Why are you so okay with it?" I rounded on him angrily. He may have been with Noelle, but I saw how he still looked at Hermione; I knew he was pushing us together in an effort to relieve his own feelings of frustration.

It was Ron's turn to gaze down at the floor somberly. "She likes you," he said softly. "And I want her to be happy."

"I can't make her happy," I replied, turning away from my brother and staring at the joke item in my hand.

"You can for a little while," Ron announced.

I turned back around to retaliate, but Ron was gone.

I sighed, leaning back against the shelf and sinking down to the floor. I don't know how long I sat there, but it was starting to get dark when George found me.

"This is getting pathetic, you know that?" he asked, helping me to my feet.

"I need to find Hermione," I told him urgently. He nodded.

"Let's go," he said, throwing his arm around my shoulders and leading me out of the store.

**--- Harry ---**

"NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO; YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO!" Draco shouted for the umpteenth time as I pulled up to the Beerbomb manner.

I rolled my eyes and got out of the car, walking around the front and coming to the passenger side, opening Draco's door and cutting through the duct tape. I had to duct tape him to the seat so that he wouldn't throw himself bodily from the car while we were driving. For whatever reason, he was really reluctant to return to Hogwarts Hills.

"I thought this would cheer you up!" I told him, releasing him from the tape and forcing him to get out of the car. He turned towards me with panic in his eyes.

"You don't understand, Harry! There are feisty red heads here who will probably slap me silly!"

"Huh?"

Draco dropped his voice to a quiet whisper. "I haven't spoken to Noelle since we left!" he explained.

"Oh," I replied, placing my hands on his back and pushing him forward through the front door of the house. "She'll probably forgive you. And if she is mad, Ron will hold her back."

"He's another red head I'm afraid of," Draco mumbled quickly as we stood in the foyer. "I'm sorry, Potter, but I must hide. Find me when you're ready to leave!"

And with that he took off, entering what looked like a dark dining room. I was about to follow him and to ask him why he was acting weirder than normal when I heard someone say my name. I turned, my eyes widening when I recognized Hermione, looking beautiful in a red dress, standing right in front of me.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" we both yelled at each other happily, our shock melting from our faces, replaced by smiles.

"Didn't anyone tell you?" she asked as she engulfed me in a hug. "I ran away!"

"_You_ ran away?" I asked, incredulous.

She pulled away, smiling proudly. "Yeah. What are you doing here, though?"

"I'm trying to cheer up Draco," I explained.

Her eyes narrowed and she turned her head from side to side. "Where is Draco?" she asked.

"Probably hiding in a cupboard," I replied, waving her off.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Never mind," I replied hastily. "I can't believe you ran away!"

She grinned again and took my hand, leading me to the living room. "Yeah, well, you're not going to believe a lot of things tonight, Harry," she warned as we entered the cramped room. We weaved our way through the crowd until we arrived at a couch. Ron took one look at me and jumped up, practically tackling me to the floor in his enthusiasm. I grinned and hugged him back; I was home.

**--- Ginny ---**

I heard a loud uproar coming from the living room as I left the bathroom. Figuring that it was just a drinking contest, I shrugged and entered the kitchen with the intent of stealing some more appetizers. I had just taken a bite of a cracker when Draco Malfoy, of all people, ran into the kitchen. He paused, stared at me in horror, screamed, then ran away.

"Draco, what the hell?" I shouted, chasing after him. We ran through the dining room and into a deserted sitting room, where I tackled him to the floor, sitting on his chest and holding his hands down to the floor. "What are you doing here?" I hissed angrily.

"Potter made me come," he replied, his eyes wide.

"Harry's here?" I asked softly, my grip on his wrists lessening as I sat up and looked over my shoulder at the direction of the living room.

Draco eased himself up onto his elbows, one of his fingers lightly running over the palm of my hand. I glanced down at him and felt the tears sting at my eyes.

"I haven't heard from you for so long," I said softly. "The only e-mail I got from you was the one you sent to everybody, telling us that you were blonde again." I ran my fingers through his completely blonde hair; not even his roots were black.

"Ginny, I…"

"I thought perhaps I was a bad kisser and had scared you away," I admitted, blushing slightly. He smiled up at me, bringing a hand to my cheek.

"Believe me, that's not the reason why I stayed away," he assured.

"Really?" I asked, smiling through my tears.

He sat up straighter, his hand running through my hair. "Really," he echoed, leaning forward to kiss me lightly. I sighed, leaning into his embrace.

"So_this_is Cho."

Draco pulled away from me quickly, his eyes going to the door where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Noelle were standing. Harry had his arms crossed and was staring down at us angrily. Draco squirmed out from under me.

"Harry, I can explain," he said calmly, but Harry wasn't listening. He strode forward and immediately punched Draco.

"How dare you lie to me about sneaking around with my girlfriend behind my back!" he shouted, pointing at me as Draco brought a hand to the cheek that Harry had hit.

"Your girlfriend!?" Draco spat back angrily, narrowing his eyes. "Your girlfriend? Do you even remember who your girlfriend is, Potter? Let me give you a hint: She gave you head this morning!"

"Oh my, that's my cue to leave," Hermione said suddenly, her face going red. "Come on, Ron," she added, tugging on Ron's arm. My brother turned to follow her then paused. He looked over his shoulder and held out his hand.

"Come on, Ginny," he said, his eyes looking right at me.

I was about to tell Ron to piss off, that I wanted to stay to make sure Harry and Draco didn't kill one another, but as soon as I opened my mouth, Noelle slapped it. I stared at her, shocked.

"You bitch!" she exclaimed angrily, her yells distracting Harry and Draco enough to stop staring at each other heatedly.

"Noelle, what the…?" Draco asked, but Noelle didn't seem to hear him; she kept her eyes firmly on me.

"The least you could have done was tell me that you were seeing him!" she exclaimed, tears staining her cheeks as she glared at me.

Suddenly, Hermione was at my side, taking my hand into her own. She gazed at Noelle evenly. "Like how you told me about you and Ron?" she asked. Noelle looked as though she had been slapped. She opened and closed her mouth furiously before turning on her heel and storming out of the room. Hermione looked at Ron. "You better follow her," she told him quietly.

He glanced between me and Hermione and Draco and Harry, his face torn over what he should do. Finally he nodded and, most surprisingly, brought his hand to rest comfortingly on my arm for a moment before he stalked out of the room in search of Noelle.

"Harry…"

Hermione and I turned to see Draco reaching out a hand to place on Harry's shoulder. Harry swatted it away angrily.

"I don't want to hear it," Harry spat out, turning his back on Draco and heading towards the door. Draco followed him urgently.

"Harry, if you'd just listen, I want to," he reached out to stop Harry, and Harry threw him off, turning on his heel his fists clenched.

Draco glanced down at Harry's hands then back up to his face.

"Go ahead," he said at last. "Hit me if you want to."

And Harry did. Repeatedly, over and over again as though he were letting all of his past frustrations out on Draco. And after a few moments, Draco retaliated, hitting Harry back.

Hermione left my side and fluttered around them nervously, begging them to stop. She began to pull at Harry's arm. "Ginny, help me!" she called over her shoulder, but I couldn't move, only stare at the scene before me, completely frozen.

In the end, it was Fred and Billy Beerbomb who helped Hermione pull the two apart. Billy looked healthier than I had ever seen him, and he was, for reasons unknown, wearing a pink apron. Under different circumstances, it would have been funny.

Fred looked directly at Hermione. "What's going on?" he asked her.

Hermione just shook her head. She looked right at me. "Go back to the party, Ginny," she ordered. "We'll take care of these two."

I didn't want to leave, but knew I couldn't stay. Harry and Draco would just continue to fight over me if I stayed. So I nodded and turned away.

**--- Ron ---**

After searching Billy's house and yard for over an hour, I realized that Noelle must have gone home. I caught up with Neville and asked him to take Ginny home when she was ready to leave. He said he would, and I left the party, speeding through the streets of Hogwarts Hills in Old Betsy before pulling onto her street. I parked several houses down so that her parents wouldn't see me and grow suspicious. Their house was dark, as was her bedroom window. It opened easily and I slipped in, whispering her name, hoping to God that she was there.

At first I didn't notice anything different about her room, but as I continued to look around, I saw that things were missing: her hair brush, her pillow, her favorite books and movies. I walked over to her closet and opened it. Her clothes were gone.

"She went to go live with our aunt and uncle."

I jumped at the voice, swearing slightly when I saw Noelle's younger brother, Mark, standing behind me. He was in the throes of puberty, poor kid.

"I'm surprised she stayed here for as long as she did," Mark went on. "She let herself get close to you people, and she never does that. She's always afraid that the people she loves will leave her, reject her…" Mark paused and laughed bitterly. "But she's always the one that leaves."

"She can't leave!" I exclaimed. "We don't want her to! Where do your aunt and uncle live? I'll go and bring her back."

Mark shook his head. "It's too late, man."

I swore under my breath and had to use all of my self control to keep from punching a hole in the wall. "How could she just uproot her life so quickly?" I asked.

Mark shrugged. "She's done it before. This isn't the first time she's run away to stay with a relative. She was living with our grandmother before we moved here."

I leaned back against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling so that the tears wouldn't spill over my eyes.

"Like I said, I'm surprised she stayed here as long as she did. It's a compliment to your and your friends that she stayed so long, let herself get so attached."

Mark was a weirdly wise boy; I never knew that about him. Granted, I apparently didn't know very much about Noelle or her life.

"Will we ever get to talk to her again?" I asked hollowly.

Mark shook his head. "She'll have her e-mailed changed tonight, and will ignore her phone until she can get the number changed."

I sighed, feeling strangely hurt and relieved at the same time.

"Do me a favor?" I asked Mark as I made my way to the window.

He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Let me know how she is from time to time?"

Mark smiled slightly and nodded as I climbed out of the window and slowly walked back to my car.

**--- Hermione ---**

Harry and Draco had obviously gone insane. One moment, they were in Billy Beerbomb's sitting room, fighting, and the next moment they were collapsed onto one another in the backseat of my car, hugging one another and calling each other 'bro'. Fred assured me that this was normal male behavior.

We took them to the Weasley's, and Fred helped them get set up in the living room with blankets and pillows.

"I'm going to change into my pajamas," I told Fred softly as he was heading into the living room to hand out pillows. He nodded, his arm brushing mine as he passed me and entered the living room. His touch sent a pleasant shiver down my arm, and I couldn't help but smile as I pulled my pajamas on in Ginny's room.

Walking back into the kitchen, I saw Fred and Ron talking softly. Ron gazed at me forlornly, his eyes large and hurt.

"Noelle left," he stated simply.

"She left?" I parroted back stupidly. Ron nodded.

"She's going to live with her aunt and uncle."

Anger welled in my chest.

"What?!" I exclaimed in a furious whisper, unsure of whether or not Harry and Draco had fallen asleep in the living room yet or not. "How could she just leave?"

Ron shrugged. "She apparently does it all the time." His voice cracked slightly, and I knew just how much he cared for her.

"Ron," I said softly, reaching out for him, but he pulled away, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"I'm just going to go to bed," he announced, sidestepping me and Fred and making his way to his room.

"Ron! I love you, bro!" Draco called out from the living room as Ron passed it. Ron graced Draco with the briefest of smiles before disappearing down the hall and into his bedroom.

I turned back to Fred; he was leaning against the counter, gazing at me curiously. "So…" he started, breaking eye contact. "Ron's single again."

I knitted my brow in confusion.

"So?" I asked.

"So where does that leave us?" he retaliated softly, keeping his eyes on the floor. I smiled. It was the first time he acknowledged that there was something going on between us. He had been avoiding me all week, putting in long hours at work, and not talking to me much when we were together.

Still smiling, I took several steps towards him, bringing my hand to rest on his chest. He glanced up from my touch, his eyes finding my face and I gasped slightly.

"What?" he asked.

"Your eyes."

"What about them?"

"They're darker than your brothers'."

Fred smiled, his shoulders relaxing as he leaned down and kissed me.

**--- Harry ---**

The Weasley couch was big enough for Draco and I to share, him on one side and me on the other. We were silent, listening to Fred and Hermione's whispers in the kitchen. After awhile, loud booms from the town fireworks signaled that it was midnight. The living room illuminated in pinks, yellows and blues from the fireworks; it was almost calming.

And then my cell phone vibrated in my pocket, signaling that I had gotten a text message. I shifted uncomfortably, reaching into my jeans and pulling my cell phone out. I flipped it open, glanced at the text, then immediately sat up.

"What is it?" Draco asked in confusion. He jerked suddenly as his own cell phone vibrated. He pulled it out and flipped it open – then he sat up as well, his face ash white as he stared down at the screen.

"Shit! They really are alive!"

Draco and I stared at each other over our phones, breathing hard. It was a new year, and our lives were about to change drastically once again.

-

**End Author's Note:** Okay, so this morning I sat down around noon, determined to write this chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long to get it out; I'm so busy with college and grad school and work, that time sometimes slips away from me. Plus this was a ridiculously difficult chapter to write. I must have written it 3 times, and this final project is a lot different than what I originally planned; for example, I wasn't going to have Noelle leave until closer to the end of HHII. I've been really hating all the OCs in this fic, and I don't know why. Noelle was never meant to become such a huge character; I created her solely to give Draco a girlfriend in HHI. I was fine with it then, but lately she's been bothering me, so I had to get rid of her. I hope this chapter makes sense. I kind of wrote it in 4 ½ hours, and now I must get ready for work. I apologize that this chapter is so different. Hopefully the chapters will be better now that this really difficult one is out of the way. :)


	15. I Was Never Young

**Hogwarts High II**  
_By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** WTF, you guys actually _liked_ the last chapter? And here I half expected to get flamed.

**Disclaimer:** I own Harry Potter. …No really, I do.

Chapter Fifteen  
_I Was Never Young_

**--- Ginny ---**

My house was dark when Neville pulled into our driveway shortly after 1 AM. I angled myself to the car door, one hand on the handle, and Neville and Luna smiled over their shoulders at me from the front seat.

"Thanks for the lift, you guys. Looks like I'm making a habit of catching rides off of you," I half-joked sleepily. Neville's smile widened slightly.

"Anytime, Ginny. You know that," he said.

I said my goodbyes, left the car and walked up to my house, silently letting myself in. It appeared that Fred and Hermione had brought Draco and Harry here; I could hear them whispering fervently to each other in the living room. I thought about joining them, asking them why they were here and where we all stood with one another, but I was too tired to deal with any sort of drama, so I passed the living room without looking in.

I ran into Fred in the hallway. He was just leaving the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel as he made his way to his room. He was smiling slightly and seemed more relaxed.

"G'night, Gin," he whispered to me, swatting me playfully with his damp towel.

I raised a questioning eyebrow at his antics, wondering vaguely where the moody bastard of the past week had gotten too as he practically skipped back to his bedroom; then it hit me, something must have happened with Hermione, and I wondered if she was spending the night in his room.

I got my answer when I entered my own room: Hermione was already in my bed, sleeping peacefully. I half wanted to wake her and see if she found out anything about Harry and Draco, but I ended up shrugging out of my dress, pulling on my pajamas and getting into bed, figuring that all questions could wait until morning.

Fifteen minutes later, the mattress sagged with added weight, causing me to jerk out of my light sleep, my eyes opening to find Harry sitting on the edge of my bed, his posture rigid and his eyes fixated on the doors separating my room from Ron's.

I glanced hastily over to Hermione, noting that she was still fast asleep – or at least feigning sleep.

"Harry? What's wrong?" I asked in a hushed whisper, carefully easing myself into a sitting position.

"I wish we had never broken up," Harry admitted in a monotone voice, keeping his eyes on the door.

My chest tightened slightly when I realized that it was the anniversary of our breakup; it still didn't explain Harry's odd mood. I opened my mouth, wanting to question him; however, my brain couldn't form a coherent thought, and I ended up shutting my mouth as a feeling of intense frustration washed over me.

"If I had just paid more attention to you and less attention to Draco last year, then maybe none of this would have happened," he continued in the same dead voice as before. "We'd have a different life right now. We'd probably even still be together."

"Harry," I sighed, extending my hand to touch his shoulder. I froze, just centimeters away from him, when I realized that he was someone else's boyfriend right now. He was much more serious with her than he had ever been with me. My hand dropped.

Harry finally turned to look at me, his eyes latching onto mine. "Draco and I are going back to our foster parents. There's been an emergency and we need to leave now. Hopefully we come back. I promise I'll try to come back to you, Ginny."

He leaned forward then and kissed me very softly on the lips, pulling away just as the door between mine and Ron's rooms opened. Draco and Ron came in, both of them sullen. They grabbed each others' wrists and pulled together in a one-armed guy hug as Harry got up from my bed and strode forward. Ron and Draco broke apart, and Ron immediately turned towards Harry, hugging him as well. Draco's eyes found me and he smiled almost apologetically at me.

"See you around, Weasel the forth," he whispered as Ron and Harry stopped hugging.

"Tell Hermione I said goodbye," Harry added as he and Draco crawled out of my window.

A moment later, they were gone.

"Ron, what's going on?" I asked my brother urgently.

Ron turned and gazed at me forlornly, his hands on his hips. "Noelle's gone. She ran away. Left town," he explained.

It wasn't what I expected to hear. I was asking about Harry and Draco, not Noelle. However, the news was still a shock to me, hitting me like a blow to the stomach. I couldn't talk, my voice dying somewhere in my throat.

Ron sighed and returned his gaze out my window, his brow knitted in concern. "And Harry and Draco are hiding something from us again," he added.

A chill ran over me as I slumped back into my pillows. "Shit," I cursed and Ron nodded, rubbing his hand over his face in an exhausted manner, then returned to his room.

**--- Harry ---**

"It could be a trap," Draco announced through a mouthful of donut.

I sent him an annoyed look before returning my gaze to the road, wondering how so much could change in such a short amount of time. At midnight I had felt almost peaceful, watching the colors from the fireworks bounce around the Weasley's living room walls. And then I had gotten a single text message: It was from Sirius and all it said was _I'm alive_.

Moments later, Draco received the same message from his mother, and before either of us had gotten over the shock of receiving messages from the dead, we both got another message from our respective guardians, telling us to meet them at some house in the same town that Larry and Susan lived.

It didn't take us long to decide to go. We said quick goodbyes to our friends and left, pausing just long enough to get gas, donuts and coffee from a 24 hour gas station.

"Someone could have gotten a hold of their cell phones and sent us texts to lure us somewhere," Draco continued, reaching for his coffee and gulping it.

"Do you honestly want to turn back?" I snapped at him, slightly annoyed; I had thought of the same things he was currently worrying about.

"Hell no, Potter, I just like to fret constantly; you should know this about me by now!" Draco retaliated.

I rolled my eyes and pressed down gently on the accelerator, watching the orange needle on the speedometer climb through the numbers. I repeatedly, nervously, turned my cell phone over and over on my lap with my free hand, keeping my other hand on the wheel.

"If they have their cell phones on them, we could just call them and talk to them before we meet them. We'll recognize their voices," I suggested.

"If they have their cell phones on them, then why the fuck didn't they call us until now?" Draco quipped angrily; he reached for another donut.

I twitched involuntarily, noting with derision that Draco had a point. _Why hadn't they contacted us?_ Why did they leave us to the system; they must have known that our inheritances would attract nutcases like Larry.

I was just about to suggest not going back, to leave them like they had left us, but before I could even open my mouth, my ringtone sounded.

Draco looked at my phone then at me, his eyes urgent. "Put it on speakerphone," he ordered.

I did as he asked, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Harry?" Jaclyn's voice answered; she sounded troubled. "Where are you?"

"A few hours outside of town," I answered, only slightly disappointed that it was her calling and not Sirius. "Draco and I went…well, it doesn't matter where we went. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, but I really need to talk to you. Both of you," she said in a rush, and I could tell that whatever it was, it was important. "When can you meet me? I don't want to tell you this over the phone."

"We should be in town around 7 AM," Draco mentioned casually, avoiding eye contact with me. It took me a minute to remember that he was used to making this trip. "A little before 7 with Harry's crazy driving," he added softly.

"Alright, I'll meet you in the park around 7," Jaclyn announced. "And drive more safely, Harry," she added.

"THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH MY DRIVING!"

"Harry, come on," Jaclyn and Draco both replied seriously.

I sighed and slowed down slightly.

"Did he slow down?" Jaclyn asked Draco.

"Yep," Draco confirmed, biting back a slight smile.

"Good. I'll see you guys in a couple of hours." She hung up, and silence fell over the car once again.

Draco sighed and propped his feet up on the dashboard, slouching slightly as he finished his donut. "You know what I just realized, Potter?" he asked, glancing over to me.

"What's that, Draco?" I asked, humoring him.

"I bet a bunch of kids would kill to have lives half as interesting as ours!" He sent me a wide smile before reaching out an arm and flipping on the radio. Neither of us talked until we pulled into town.

"There she is," Draco announced as we entered the park. The sky was fading to blue with the approaching morning, illuminating a blonde girl sitting on a bench.

Jaclyn still looked as though she were going to a party; she was wearing a sparkly New Years dress, had hair spray in her styled hair and her eyes were rimmed with black. She smiled sleepily, almost sadly, at us as we approached. I hugged her quickly.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Jessie's an idiot," she sighed, her shoulder slumping. "She checked on your accounts without us having to coax her into it. She apparently wanted to see whether or not you were loaded."

"And?"

"The first time she did it, both of your accounts were still there; the second time she checked, Larry had gotten to them."

Draco swore under his breath and turned away. Jaclyn gazed at us with large, apologetic eyes.

"Larry had the money from your accounts transferred to an account belonging to someone named Dobby Hedwig." Jaclyn scrunched her face in confusion as she said the name. Draco, however, turned back around quickly, his face draining of all color.

"Say the name again," he ordered.

"Dobby Hedwig," Jaclyn parroted dumbly.

Draco swore colorfully and collapsed onto the slide, his eyes gazing forlornly up at the lightening sky.

"What is it now, Malfoy?" I asked, annoyed.

"Dobby Hedwig is my dad's alias," he admitted finally, keeping his eyes on the sky.

"WHAT!?" I shouted, glaring down at him.

"My dad has my money," Draco whined pathetically.

"YOUR DAD HAS _MY_ MONEY," I shouted back.

"Shh!" Jaclyn hushed, looking around nervously.

I collapsed onto the swing next to Draco's slide, putting my head in my hands moodily. "It's all over," I complained.

"Don't talk like that, Harry," Jaclyn scolded, getting up from the bench and coming to kneel in front of me. She took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Isn't this a good thing, though?" she asked, glancing between Draco and I. "If Draco's father has your money, you can find him and find a way to get it back. You know where it is…you just have to figure out how to get to it."

"You obviously don't know my father," Draco mumbled pathetically.

Jaclyn gazed up at me with large eyes. "I'm not giving up," she told me. I stared at her for a long moment.

"Jaclyn, there's something that Draco and I need to tell you too," I said quietly. Draco immediately turned his head and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Potter," he said in a warning voice.

"It's best that she knows," I explained. "That way if it is a trick, she can come and save us."

Jaclyn gazed at us curiously and Draco sighed and waved a hand as if to say_'Well, go on then!'_ I took a deep breath and told her everything.

**--- Narcissa ---**

The Greengrasses had always been a close friend with the Black family. I had actually been good friends with Matt Greengrass in high school, but we had drifted apart in adulthood when I married Lucius. You see, the Greengrasses had their own mafia, and they opposed the mafia my husband had joined. But now Matt welcomed me back and accepted my plea. Any excuse to bring down Lucius Malfoy and whatever was left over from Tom Riddle's mafia was a good enough excuse for him.

He was also the one who informed Sirius and I that our sons had been taken in by one of Lucius' men.

"Yep," he had said brightly over a glass of Cognac. "We've been well aware that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were residing with Larry Jenkins for awhile now. I thought of you, of course," he added, nodding at me. "But I didn't know what was going on and didn't feel like getting involved."

The news that our boys were currently in the clutches of the enemy upset Sirius and I enough to text them, to make contact with them for the first time in months. Matt had even been generous enough to fly us all down to where they were supposed to be to meet them up with them.

And that's how Sirius, Remus and I found ourselves sitting in one of the Greengrasses many residences, waiting impatiently for our boys to show up.

I bit my nails nervously, my stomach twisting in anticipation. What would he look like? Seven months was far too long for a mother to be away from her teenaged son; surely he had grown, matured. He was seventeen now, less than a year away from adulthood. Would he still need me then? Would he still want me now? After all I had done to him…

"They're here," Matt's daughter, Daphne, announced in a singsong voice as she entered the living room.

I held my breath, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest, and Sirius swore softly next to me as Harry and Draco entered the room.

They had changed: They were taller and broader, their hair a little longer than what I remembered. And adulthood was creeping up on them, showing in their more angular jaws and the shadows under their eyes, ghostly bruises they had acquired in their fight against sleep. They stood motionless, their hands in their pockets as they stared at us through narrowed eyes, their mouths firm lines.

Finally I couldn't take it any longer. I flung myself from the couch and rushed over to my son, throwing my arms around his stiff shoulders and crying into his shirt. For a moment he did nothing; then, he slowly wrapped his arms around me.

"It's alright, Mom," he said softly into my hair. "I'm alright."

I pulled back and stared at him, cupping his face in my hands; I could feel stubble under my fingers. Next to us Harry and Sirius pulled apart from their hug, anger crossing Harry's face.

"You could have fucking called," he scolded his Godfather. "Where have you guys been all this time?" he asked, his brilliantly green eyes flashing between Sirius, Remus and I.

"Hiding of course," Remus replied when Sirius and I couldn't. "At first it was because we had killed a man and didn't want to get caught. Once we realized that the authorities wouldn't arrest us for killing a murderer in self defense, we kept hiding because we knew Lucius was still out there. But then we realized that Lucius would want to come after you two. So," Remus spread his arms, indicating our surrounding. "Here we are."

Both boys still looked hurt and angry, though neither said anything.

"Are you thirsty?" I asked them suddenly, wanting to put an end to the silence. "Could someone get them something to drink?" I looked around hastily, and Daphne rose from her spot perched on her father's armchair. She crossed the room to enter the kitchen, and I noticed my son's eyes following her.

"Why don't we have a seat?" Sirius suggested brightly, clapping his hands together; the silence was obviously getting to him too.

Sirius and I sat back down on the couch, leaving plenty of room for the boys to join us; however, they chose to sit on the couch opposite from us, plopping down together in one fluid motion. It was then that it hit me: They were brothers now.

Daphne returned and handed them both a bottle of water, and my son thanked her with a slight smile. Harry continued to look moody.

"Our foster parents work for Lucius," the raven-haired boy mentioned casually.

Sirius and I exchanged surprised looks: Draco and Harry obviously weren't as obtuse as they were last year. Harry continued, adding something even we didn't know:

"He stole our inheritances."

"What?" I asked, sending a shocked, questioning look at my son. Draco nodded.

"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed unexpectedly, punching a fist in the air. "I knew I was smart!"

Everyone in the room looked at him as if he were insane; he elaborated.

"I left all of my money to Harry in my will. However, James and Lily's money is still safe in Regulus' account!"

"You opened an account in your dead brother's name for your dead friend's money?" Remus asked, half scolding.

"Shut up, Remus, it's a good thing I did."

Harry and Draco were staring at us. "So what now?" Draco asked, glancing between the three of us.

Sirius, Remus and I all turned to look at Matt, who was slouched down comfortably in his chair, his hands behind his head. He grinned widely at us.

"How do you guys feel about moving back to Hogwarts Hills?" he asked.

There were two loud thunks as Harry and Draco let the water bottles slip from their hands in shock. Matt's grin widened.

"I take that as a yes."

**--- Hermione ---**

The last couple of days of winter break passed slowly and quietly. Ron, mourning the loss of Noelle, mostly stayed in his room, coming out only for food and to shower. I gave him some space that first day, but then took to sitting in his room with him for hours at a time. He would do nothing but sit and stare at the wall or TV, and I would sit by him and read, occasionally bringing a hand to rub his back comfortingly.

Fred, to my amazement, was really great about it all. He didn't spy on us, or get moody or possessive. And whenever we were in the same room as Ron, Fred acted as he always did around me. As a matter of fact, no one other than George knew that we were together for certain. Ron, Ginny and Bill had their suspicions of course, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were completely oblivious.

"Hermione's going to show me how to defrag our computer!" Fred announced happily the last night of vacation, leading me through the living room where his parents and eldest brother were currently watching _Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?_.

"Oh that's nice," Mrs. Weasley answered, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"Show him how to run a virus scan too, Hermione," Mr. Weasley added.

"Theodore Roosevelt," Bill answered the TV.

Fred and I entered the office and closed the sliding door partially.

"It's almost too easy," Fred commented, smiling slyly as he leaned down and kissed me lightly. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer.

Fred had been my first kiss at age fourteen, a weird twist of fate having caused the bottle to point to him in a game of spin the bottle. The kiss had been completely innocent; our lips had met for only a few seconds; he had been sixteen at the time, and must have realized that I was inexperienced. Ever since then, however, I had always wondered what it would be like to properly kiss Fred Weasley. I was surprised to find out that he was intense and gentle all at the same time. He liked to be close, his body flushed against mine as his hands ran up and down my arms, across my cheeks, into my hair.

"Fred," I whispered after a few minutes of kissing, pulling back slightly to smile at him. "I really do have to use the computer."

He smiled and kissed me softly one last time. "Alright," he said at last, breaking apart. He never pressured me to go on, and I had to wonder if it was because we were still new at being a couple, or because I had told him about Victor and about how I had come close to sleeping with him before freezing up. It was probably a combination of both reasons.

Fred sat on the desk as I turned the computer on.

"So what are you doing?" he asked casually, as though we hadn't been making out two seconds ago. That was something else about him: When we weren't kissing, we were just friends.

"Checking my mail to see if Dumbledore replied about tomorrow. I need to know what time to show up to school for registration."

Fred groaned.

"That's right," he said, "school starts tomorrow."

"What's it to you?" I asked playfully. "You're at work while the rest of us are at school."

Fred breathed in deeply as if he were about to confess to something. "School starts for me tomorrow too; George and I are taking night classes at the local university."

"What!?" I asked, my eyes widening in shock.

"Don't look so surprised, Hermione," he replied, smiling down at me. "We realize that our initial success with the store was just luck and some help from Bill. So we're taking a couple of business classes. It's not a big deal."

I wanted to kiss him again.

"Your mom will be pleased," I told him instead.

He groaned again.

"Yes, God forbid she start to think that we're actually growing up. Hi Ginny," he added, looking over my shoulder.

I turned to see Ginny standing uncertainly in the doorway. "Hi," she replied, her eyes bouncing between the two of us. "I'm not interrupting am I?"

Fred laughed and hopped off of the desk, walking over to his sister. "Now Ginny, why would you say a thing like that?" he asked, ruffling her hair as he passed. He left the office and I heard Bill yell _'Oh come on! That one was easy!'_ at the TV. Ginny turned and gazed at me suspiciously. As casual as Fred and I were, it was obvious that we were hanging out more than we ever did before.

"Fred and I like to kiss sometimes," I admitted, blushing slightly. It was a good way to explain our relationship; I doubted that either of us felt as though we were a couple.

Ginny smiled and shook her head. "I don't know what it is about my stupid brothers that attracts you to them, but as long as you end up marrying one of them someday and joining this family properly, then I don't really care."

She winked, turned on her heel and joined her family in the living room.

**--- Harry ---**

Threatened with the wrath of Matt Greengrass, Larry immediately handed guardianship over to Sirius and Narcissa.

"Lucius isn't going to like this," he told Narcissa evenly in the court house. Narcissa said nothing.

Draco and I were given one hour to pack our things and say goodbye to Jenny. Saying goodbye to her was a lot harder than I expected it to be. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to us, begging us to take her with us.

We hugged her and stroked her hair and told her that we loved her and that we'd always love her; she was our little sister no matter what anyone said.

We even gave her a necklace: a silver chain with a tiny, silver key on it. We clasped it around her neck, telling her something about how it was the key to her heart and how she should protect it and eventually give it to some guy who deserved it.

Draco and I were obviously very sappy big brothers.

As hard as it was to say goodbye to Jenny, it was even harder to say goodbye to Jaclyn. Draco helped me sneak out of the Greengrasses house the night before we were supposed to leave so that I could go see her.

"Be back before morning," Draco warned. "If they ask where you are, I'm going to tell them."

Jaclyn was waiting for me when I climbed through her window. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she was no longer crying. We stood silently and stared at each other for a few painful moments before I rushed forward and took her into my arms.

"Come with me," I whispered into her hair.

"You know I can't," she replied, choking on her own words. She pulled away slightly and attempted to give me a brave smile. "It's okay, Harry," she whispered. "We'll both be okay."

"Jaclyn," I paused, cupping her face in my hands. "I…love…" but the rest of the phrase died on my lips. I did love her. _I did._ But not in the way she wanted me to.

"I know, Harry," she replied, placing her hands on my chest. She hugged me again, leaning her head against my shoulder. "Stay with me tonight," she pleaded.

I nodded against her hair and led her over to her bed, wrapping her in my arms and spooning against her as we laid down. She eventually fell asleep, and I gently wrestled myself away from her when her room lightened with approaching dawn.

"I'll come back for you," I whispered in her ear before climbing out of her window and walking away.

I was going home.

**-**

**End Author's Note:** Sometimes I don't update for months at a time -- and sometimes I update a day later. I'm strange like that. Anyway, I have a HUGE announcement, and I'm not entirely certain if you guys are going to like it or not. I have decided -- after months of deliberation -- that there will most likely **not** be a Hogwarts High III. I **will** finish Hogwarts High II. My goal is to have it finished within the year -- hopefully by the end of May, but I've been so busy with life lately that it just might take me the whole year to finish it. But I will finish it, and I will include an epilogue so that you all know what happens to the characters. I'm sorry about pulling out of HHIII. It's just that I've been writing this series since I was 15 and I'm almost 22 now. Within a year I'll be in grad school and working more, and I have other fics that I want to write and would like to try my hand at original stuff eventually. So as much as I love this series, I'm afraid I'll either have to end it or lose my sanity. And while I'm pretty much certain that once HHII is done I'll be done with the series, I also realize that I'm capricious, and I can see myself writing Hogwarts University out of boredom one day -- not saying that I will, but you never know with me. However, don't get too depressed yet...we still have a long way to go with HHII, so you still have a lot to look forward to.**  
**


	16. Draco Love You Long Time

Hogwarts High II

**Hogwarts High II**_  
By Siriusly Amused_

**Author's Note:** Yay, I'm writing this again! I really have to thank you guys for being so patient. The last six weeks or so of the semester were intense, and I really didn't have time to write. Then after graduation, I was sick for a week then had issues applying to grad school, and those issues aren't completely cleared up yet, but I actually have time to write now, so yay! After I posted the last chapter, I had a lot of really good ideas for this story…and then I forgot them all. So I'm back to making this shit up as I go! This'll be fun. Oh, and I have to thank you guys for being so understanding about me pulling out of HHIII. I wish I could have a HHIII, but at the rate I'm going, if I did that, the series wouldn't end until I'm 30 or something. But enough of me rambling.

**Disclaimer:** I just realized that I've been forgetting about disclaimers on the newer fics I've been writing. I think everyone and their mother knows I don't own Harry Potter though.

Chapter Sixteen_  
Draco Love You Long Time_

**-- Harry -- **

"HELL NOOO!"

I exchanged glances with the Greengrass girl, whatserface, Daisy or something. She raised an amused eyebrow at me, as though she was asking whether or not Draco was always like this. I nodded. Yes, Draco was always like this.

"WHY DO I HAVE TO SHARE A ROOM WITH THEM?" Draco continued loudly. He glared at the four adults standing by the doorway to our attic bedroom. We had just returned to Hogwarts Hills, and Matt Greengrass was showing us around his already furnished manor; it rested high up on a hill on the outskirts of town. From the windows in our attic bedroom, we could see the early morning traffic as people made their way to work and school.

Matt looked at Draco kindly. "Draco, Draco, Draco," he said, shaking his head. "We only have five regular bedrooms in this house, and the four of us," he indicated himself, Sirius, Remus and Narcissa, "need our own rooms. And we should have a bedroom free for guests. Which leaves you three to this room."

Draco glared at the older man for a minute, the vein over his right eye twitching madly. He then sprang forward and grabbed Demi or whatever her name is.

"I'LL IMPREGNATE HER!" he threatened. "I WILL!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "That still leaves you sharing a room with Harry."

"I'LL IMPREGNATE HIM TOO!"

"You do that, honey," Narcissa said.

I shook my head at Draco, who was breathing heavily in his rage. "You really didn't pay any attention to Snape in health last year, did you?" I asked him.

"No. Why do you ask?"

A chuckle sounded around the room as the adults smiled at one another. Remus' smile faltered.

"A voice in the back of my head is telling me that we probably should put Daphne in a different room," he said.

"DAPHNE!" I exclaimed loudly. "That's it!" I turned to her apologetically. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"WHAT?" she asked, obviously offended.

Draco patted her on the head. "Don't mind Harry; he's fugly and loserish."

"I AM NOT!"

"YOU ARE TOO, AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"IF WE CAN JUST GET BACK TO THE SITUATION AT HAND!" Remus interrupted. He had come to stand between Draco and I, prohibiting our fight from continuing. "Seriously, they're teenagers and not related. We're asking for trouble by making them share a room."

"Oh, don't worry," Daphne said. "I'm saving myself for Johnny Depp. No guy's gotten me to change my mind yet."

"You don't say?" Draco asked, interested.

"Oh great!" Narcissa said, throwing her arms up exasperatedly. "Now he's up for the challenge!"

"He won't succeed," Daphne assured.

Draco scowled for a moment before shaking his head and smiling once again. "It doesn't matter," he said, crossing the room and sitting on one of the three beds. "I'm currently in a red hot romance with Ginny Weasley."

Something clenched in my chest at his words. "What?" I asked him. "I thought you and Ginny called it off?"

Draco stared at me curiously. "Why would we do that, Potter?"

"Well…because…I mean…I'm back now."

A soft chuckle escaped Draco's lips as he shook his head at me. "Come on, Harry! Everyone knows that I'm hotter than you!"

Daphne turned and nodded at me. "He is hotter than you, Harry."

"You definitely don't stand a chance," Draco continued. "Ginny will pick me."

"You want to bet on that, Malfoy?" I asked.

"Sure, because I know I'll win," Malfoy retaliated.

"Alright, you kids have fun gamboling and start unpacking," Matt announced gregariously as he ushered the other adults out of the room. "We have some important phone calls to make."

Draco held his hand out to me. "Fifty bucks says she picks me."

I stared at his hand for a moment before shaking it firmly. "You're on."

"And you're both idiots," Daphne replied. She picked up one of her many suitcases and brought it over to the bed furthest from Draco's.

"And why's that?" I asked her. Draco seemed to prefer ignoring her completely; he was rummaging around one of his own suitcases frantically, his brow knitted. Daphne didn't answer me; she merely shot me a cheeky grin, shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her dresser as she put her clothes in its drawers.

"Aha!" Draco announced triumphantly, waving a roll of duct tape over his head. The same role of duct tape I had used to retrain him in the car on New Years Eve.

Daphne and I watched him curiously as he began sticking the tape on the floor around his bed. He glared at us once he was finished.

"This is my space!" he announced, pointing to the line of duct tape. "I'll stay out of your space if you stay out of mine!"

His space consisted of a half circle around his bed and dresser; it did not include the way to the door. Daphne and I exchanged amused smiles. "Alright," we consented at once.

Draco knitted his brow in confusion; he obviously thought we would put up a fight about it. Then he looked down at what his space actually encompassed.

"Oh crap."

**-- Hermione --**

"Is this really necessary?" I asked, half out of breath as I hopped sideways on one foot with the secretaries. The Soulja Boy dance craze had apparently hit the office of Hogwarts High.

"Almost done, dear," one of the secretaries said. She was wearing sunglasses that had 'Soulja Secretary' written on them.

I sighed and maneuvered my way out of the dancing group, plopping into the chair outside of Dumbledore's office, completely exhausted. And all I wanted was my schedule so that I could go to class.

The door to Dumbledore's office was opened, and his voice echoed out to me; he appeared to be talking to someone on the phone. Not wanting to be rude, I tried to tune him out, but then he said a name that had me leaning closer, listening intently:

"Yes, Mr. Black, we'd be delighted to have Harry back!" There was a pause in which my mouth went dry and my heart pounded desperately against my ribs. Surely Dumbledore was talking to a different Mr. Black about a different Harry? As far as I knew, Sirius was dead and Harry was living with a different family. But then Dumbledore spoke again:

"Yes, we'd be happy to have Mr. Malfoy back too. I'm sure Poppy misses his frequent visits. Seeing as both he and the Weasley twins are gone this year, not many students have been going to the nurse's office."

"Here you go, dear," a secretary said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere and handing me my class schedule. She then returned to dancing. I stayed sitting outside of Dumbledore's office, unable to move as he finished his phone call.

"Yes, they can register tomorrow and start classes on Wednesday." He paused again as he listened to whatever Sirius was saying. "Yes, you too," Dumbledore said. "But I must go now; I think I have a student listening in."

I startled suddenly, jumping out of my chair and glancing into his office apologetically. He hung up the phone and folded his hands on his desk while he smiled benevolently at me and winked.

"I believe you're late for Honors English III, Miss Granger."

"Oh crap!" I swore, turning on my heel suddenly. I Soulja Boyed out of the office and ran through the halls and up the stairs as my body tried to get to class and my brain tried to register what I had just found out: Harry and Draco were back in town, seemingly for good.

I found Mr. Slughorn's classroom and burst through the doors quickly, my shoulders rising and falling as I tried to catch my breath.

"Well someone's excited about the Transcendentalists!" Slughorn commented happily from his podium. The rest of the class, Ron included, gazed quizzically at me over their shoulders; I appeared way too excited for Slughorn's famously hard English class. No one knew that I was excited about something else entirely.

I shot an embarrassed grin at my classmates as I came up the aisle and settled in the empty desk next to Ron's; my mind vaguely registered that the desk must have been Noelle's before she left. I grinned widely at Ron, wanting to tell him the news.

"Anyway, Mr. Weasley, what were you saying?" Slughorn asked, his eyes focused on Ron. Ron turned away from me and leaned forward on his desk.

"I was just saying that I think the Transcendentalists were full of shit," Ron announced.

Slughorn sighed and rubbed his temples wearily. "Language, Weasley," he scolded.

"Oh, sorry," Ron apologized. "The Transcendentalists were full of pit."

A few kids laughed, though I didn't get what was funny. I was actually really confused over Ron's choice of words.

"And why is that?" Slughorn asked. He looked almost as though he wanted to throw Ron out of the class, but couldn't for some reason. I got my surprising answer as to why Slughorn was reluctant to send Ron away as Ron continued: despite his feigned cursing, Ron actually made a good discussion.

"I thought you'd ask that, you old pastard" he said, waving his pen at Slughorn. "I didn't know how to say it myself, so over Christmas break I did some research on Transcendentalism criticism, and I agree with Edgar Allan Poe: the pucking Transcendentalists relied too heavily on pitty metaphors, and their writing was so pucking obscure that they probably didn't know what the puck they were on about! I mean, even Hawthorne was a pucking Transcendentalist, and then he suddenly changed his mind and wrote a pucking satire on it. The stupid prick."

Slughorn sighed. "I think you missed one, Ron."

"Oh, sorry," Ron apologized again, grinning as the rest of the class stifled giggles. "The stupid punt," he corrected.

Slughorn smiled faintly. "Well, Mr. Weasley, I'm glad that you did outside research without being prompted. Your classmates should learn from you and do the same. However, I'd hate for all of that outside work to go to waste, so why don't you go to in-school suspension and write a paper about Transcendentalism criticism?"

"If you say so, Mr. Slughorn," Ron said.

"I do say so."

Ron turned in his seat and sent me a cheeky grin as he collected his books and stood up, making his way to the door and prohibiting me from telling him the news. At the front of the class, Slughorn resumed his lecture, but I wasn't able to pay attention to it. I shifted in my seat; I _had_ to tell someone, and I _wanted_ to tell Ron. My hand shot up in the air before I even realized what I was doing.

"Yes, Miss Granger? Do you know the answer?" Slughorn asked hopefully. I wasn't even aware that he had asked the class a question.

"Um…the over-soul?" I guessed.

"Correct!" Slughorn beamed. "The Transcendentalists believed in something they called the over-soul which…"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Slughorn but…my foot hurts. Can I go to the nurse?"

Every one of my classmates stared at me suspiciously: going to the nurse for a hurt foot was Draco's excuse to get out of class. Slughorn blinked at me as though he couldn't believe what I had just asked.

"Your foot hurts, Miss Granger?" he asked.

"Yes. I think I injured it while I was running to your class," I explained.

Slughorn immediately reached for his pass book. "Yes. Yes, you should go to the nurse right away," he said as he scribbled me a pass. "I'll have Parvati take notes for you."

Parvati whimpered.

I snatched the pass out of Mr. Slughorn's hand, remembered to limp as I made my way to the door, and then broke out into a run once I was in the hallway.

I found Ron on the first floor, slowly making his way to the in-school suspension area. I increased my speed, crashed into him and dragged him into the nearby janitor's closet.

"Hermione!? What the hell?" Ron asked, gazing at me quizzically as I shut the door behind us. "I thought you had a thing with Fred now?"

"Believe it or not, Ron, I didn't drag you in here to make out," I replied, my lips pulling into a smile as I remembered the first time Ron and I met in the janitor's closet to talk and how he had tried to kiss me then.

"Oh. You're doing your crazy I Need To Talk To You In The Janitor's Closet thing again. Hermione, what can't wait until…"

"Harry and Draco are back!" I exclaimed suddenly, interrupting him. Ron's eyes went wide.

"What? Like for good?" he asked.

I nodded. "I think so."

Ron shook his head as though he didn't believe me. "Hermione, they've been adopted. Why would their new family move here?"

"I don't think they're with that family anymore!" I explained. His brow furrowed in confusion. "Look, I was in the office getting my class schedule, and I overheard a phone conversation that Dumbledore was having. I," I paused, unsure of whether or not he would believe me, "I think he was talking to Sirius."

"Sirius?" Ron asked, cocking a skeptical eyebrow. "Sirius Black?"

"Yes! Look, I know it sounds crazy but…"

"I believe you," he said softly.

Relief flooded through me as I smiled up at him. Despite everything we've been through, our friendship remained the same as it always was. Ron still trusted me.

"Where do you think they're staying?" he asked suddenly.

I frowned. "I don't know."

"I think I know someone who could find out," Ron suggested.

"Who?"

A sly smile pulled across his face. "Do you want to call Fred or should I?"

**-- Ginny --**

The sun was setting brilliantly behind Weasels as Fred walked out of the store and came up to us. Ron, Hermione and I were sitting on the hood of Old Betsy in the parking lot, waiting for whatever information Fred could gather up on Harry and Draco and their possible return to Hogwarts Hills.

"Okay, according to Billy Beerbomb," Fred said once he had reached us, his hand resting on Hermione's knee. I noticed Ron tense slightly next to me, though he didn't say anything. "Harry and Draco are at the Greengrass manor next to Dumbledore's place," Fred continued, pointing westward to where Hogwarts Hills' richest homes sat on top of a large hill.

"Greengrass?" Ron asked, furrowing his brow.

Fred shrugged. "Billy said that Matt Greengrass grew up here before getting rich somehow. He keeps a home here though he spends most of his time in New York."

"How does Harry and Draco know this Greengrass guy?" I asked. None of this was making sense to me.

"Harry and Draco don't know him," Fred said, smiling. "Sirius and Narcissa do."

I nearly fell off of the car in my shock. Ron and Hermione, however, just nodded in understanding. They apparently knew about Sirius and Narcissa being alive—or they at least surmised it.

"Remus is apparently back from the dead too," Fred added, shrugging. No one said anything. I was trying to wrap my mind around everything, and Ron and Hermione were staring off in the distance to where the manors were. The Greengrass manor, which had always been dark and vacant, had several lights on. It looked as though everything Fred was telling us was true.

I felt slightly sick to my stomach. Draco and I hadn't gotten the chance to talk about our weird relationship and, truth be told, after Harry had admitted that he wished that we had never broken up and kissed me, my feelings for him had returned full force. I even convinced myself that the only reason why I had started something with Draco in the first place was because I was lonely and Draco was there and he looked almost like Harry with his black hair. But I didn't know how Draco felt about me and our relationship. While I wanted Harry, I also didn't want to hurt Draco. The whole situation was complicated, and the only thing that had gotten me through the past week was that the boys lived hours away from me. But now they were back and, if Hermione was right, they'd be starting school on Wednesday. Therefore, I had to see them and figure out where we stood with one another. Even though I didn't want to.

"So are you guys going to pay them a visit or what?" Fred asked.

Hermione and Ron nodded.

"You want to come along, man?" Ron asked as he and I slid off of the hood of the car.

Fred shook his head.

"Don't tell Mom, but George and I have a night class to go to tonight," Fred announced. He moved to stand in front of Hermione, who was still sitting on the hood of the car. Hermione smiled and leaned down for a kiss. Ron and I exchanged disgusted glances.

"I'm leaving now," Ron announced, pulling the driver's side door open and getting behind the wheel.

Fred and Hermione pulled apart, both smiling widely as Hermione slid off of the car and got into the front seat. I got into the backseat and Ron started the car.

"This'll be fun," he said as we pulled out of the parking lot.

**-- Harry --**

"Harry!" Draco called out. He stood up from his bed, bottle of vodka in hand, and stumbled over to where the edge of the duct tape marked his space. Leave it to Draco to take the his space thing seriously; he stayed in his space all day, eating cookies and drinking vodka that he had packed in his suitcase for some reason.

"Harry!" Draco said again. He swayed on the spot and blinked blearily. "I gotta pee!"

Daphne, who was lying on her bed on her stomach, writing in what appeared to be a journal, shot me a nervous glance.

"Go to the bathroom, Draco," I said, waving a hand at the bathroom that connected with our massive room.

"M'kay," Draco said. He immediately began unbuttoning his jeans; he was taking me seriously.

"Oh my God! Harry, do something before he pees in here!" Daphne exclaimed. She was now sitting up on her knees, her hands over her mouth and eyes wide as Draco fumbled with his zipper.

"Dammit, Draco!" I shouted, springing from my own bed and rushing over to him. We were too far away from the bathroom and he was about ready to…

I went to the window, wrenched it open and had him stand in front of it, allowing him to pee out of the window. I turned back towards Daphne, and the two of us both heaved relieved sighs. Then we heard a scream sound from the yard.

"Oh shit," I said. "I forgot that window faces the street."

"Hello, Granger!" Draco greeted loudly.

"Hermione?" I asked.

Daphne left her bed and joined me and Draco at the window. Sure enough, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were standing in our front yard, sending shocked and confused stares at us. Ginny and Hermione were beet red after seeing more of Draco than they had asked for.

"Harry! What the fuck?" Ron yelled up at me.

"Language, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore shouted from his living room window, one house over.

"Sorry, Principal Dumbledore," Ron shouted back.

A yellow rectangle of light suddenly appeared on our front lawn as someone opened our front door. Moments later, Sirius and Remus joined Ron and the others on the lawn, peering up at us questioningly. Daphne immediately pulled Draco away from the window and started coaxing him into tucking himself back in and zipping up his pants.

"Harry, what's going on?" Sirius shouted up to me.

"Nothing!" I replied. "Send those three on up, would you?" I asked. I slammed the window shut and turned back to Draco and Daphne before anyone could answer. Daphne was buttoning Draco's jeans for him, and Draco was giggling like a little kid.

"Kinky," he muttered, causing Daphne to shoot away from him as though he had burned her. Her face was flushed red from a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Ignore him," I told her. "He's drunk and an idiot."

Draco opened his mouth to retaliate, but stopped when our bedroom door opened and Ron and the others walked in. Hermione and Ginny were still red with embarrassment.

"Hi guys!" Draco greeted happily. He spread his arms wide as though he wanted to hug them. "Come here," he ordered. "I would go to you, but I can't step over this duct tape."

The three of them came closer, though none of them hugged Draco. Hermione, however, had the misfortune of being within Draco's reach, and he playfully pinched her butt.

"Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed. She covered her butt with both hands and she and Ginny scurried behind Ron.

"Careful Malfoy," Ron quipped. "Touch her again, and Fred might kill you."

Draco appeared confused. "Why would Fred kill me for touching Hermione?"

"Fred and I are seeing each other," Hermione explained over Ron's shoulder.

Draco blinked. "Fred?" he asked. "Fred _Weasley_? And Hermione?"

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY?" Draco shouted loudly, throwing his arms out for emphasis. He made to take a step forward, ended up stumbling over his own feet and falling onto his bed. He groaned pathetically. The rest of us ignored him.

"So," I said, glancing at my friends. "How did you guys find out we're back?"

Ron narrowed his eyes. "When were you guys going to tell us that you were back?" he countered. "Tell me. When has our group gotten so bad with communicating with one another?" He sounded slightly angry.

I sighed and ran a hand threw my hair. "Okay, here's the whole story. Sirius, Remus and Narcissa are the lamest adults on the planet; they thought they'd be arrested for killing Tom, so they faked their own deaths and went into hiding, leaving Draco and I to the system. It didn't take long for Lucius Malfoy to find us, and he had one of his conmen adopt us and steal our inheritances from us. Once Sirius and the others heard about this, they realized how they've been lame adults, came out of hiding and went to their friend, Matt Greengrass, who happens to be…

Daphne shot me a look of warning.

"A guy who really hates Lucius," I said, leaving out the part about the mafia, though I made a mental note to tell the others about it later. "And he's rich and has connections, so Sirius and Narcissa managed to get custody of us again and we literally moved back here today." I sighed and looked pleadingly at my friends. "We were going to call you as soon as Draco sobered up."

"Yeah, I was going to ask what was up with that," Ron commented, flashing a grin. It appeared as though all was forgiven.

I shrugged. "Draco's an idiot," was all that I offered as an explanation.

"I heard that," Draco hiccupped from his bed.

Ron and Hermione laughed, but Ginny was staring fervently at Daphne. Ron and Hermione's eyes also left Draco and rounded inquisitively on Daphne.

"Hi," Daphne greeted pleasantly, smiling as she came forward and shook Ron and Hermione's hands. "I'm Daphne Greengrass. I live with these two now," she introduced. She held her hand out to Ginny, but Ginny was already looking around the room and had spotted Daphne's bed. The youngest Weasley rounded on Daphne in shock.

"You share a room with them?" Ginny asked, her face stricken.

Daphne shrugged. "It's a full house."

Ron smiled and threw an arm around Hermione's shoulders, bringing her forward. "Got any room for Hermione? She's currently living in our school," he joked.

Hermione smirked and brushed Ron's arm off of her shoulders. "Shut up, Ron; I love living in the school," she said.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Only you would love living in a school, Hermione," he said.

"I do!" Hermione insisted, flashing Daphne and I a grin. "I get to go to the library whenever I want!"

We laughed, but Ginny still looked disgruntled; she glared at Daphne and crossed her arms.

"I need to get back home," Ginny announced suddenly.

Ron and Hermione shot her questioning glances.

"I need to study for Biology II," Ginny elaborated. "We're dissecting the fetal pig tomorrow."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, but nodding nonetheless, inching closer to the door as they did so.

"We'll call you after school tomorrow, Harry," Ron said, glancing over his shoulder. Hermione waved. Ginny didn't even look at us as she left the room.

"Wow," Daphne said once they had left. "She an old girlfriend or something?"

"That was Ginny," I explained, and Daphne nodding in understanding.

"So _that_ was Ginny," Daphne said, walking over to the window to watch the three of them get into Old Betsy and drive away. I joined her and watched their taillights disappear into the night.

Draco suddenly sat up in bed, his eyes half closed.

"She be pissed," he announced.

He then passed out.

**--**

**End Author's Note:** Okay, I think I'm going to go ahead and post this. I know I said in my bio awhile back that I wasn't going to post another HHII chapter until I have them all written, but you guys have been waiting patiently, so I'm gonna post it as a thank you. And after this chapter, I'm going to try to wait until I finish the fic. Anyway, you guys can thank Lost But Found for the drunk Draco in this chapter. Oh! And Ron's weird swearing in Slughorn's class? I stole the idea for it from a TV show called Skins. And I see Ron as trying to push the limits with Slughorn, so that's why he does it. Oh, and a lot of people have been asking wtf is up with that whole Harry and Draco fight then sudden make up that happened a few chapters back. I didn't see Harry as being upset with the fact that Draco was seeing Ginny as much as he was upset that Draco was hiding something from him. Harry and Draco have been through a lot together, and Harry has never kept anything from Draco, so he really felt betrayed. But he's also hot headed, so once he got his frustration out, he was better, and Draco knew that. Yeah, I really should explain more in my writing. Oh, and a lot of people were confused about Harry making the same promise to Ginny and Jaclyn. He loves both of them, and he meant what he said to both of them.


End file.
